(Library  of  €he  Cheolo0ical  Seminary 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


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PRESENTED  BY 

John  Hamilton 

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IT^TXA^, 


HEART'S-EASE 

IN 

AHT-TM01 


OR, 

A  SOVEREIGN  REMEDY 

AGAINST 

ALL  TROUBLE  OF  HEART 

THAT 

Chrisfs  Disciples  are  subject  toy 

UNDER  ALL  KINDS 

OF  AFFLICTIONS  IN  THIS  LIFE. 

PRESCRIBED   BY   THE  GREAT    PHYSICIAN  THE   LORD 

JESUS     CHRIST,    WHICH     HATH     NEVER    FAILED 

THOSE  THAT  HAVE  USED  IT,  OR  EVER  WILL, 

TO  THE   END  OF   THE  WORLD. 


BY  JOHN 'BUNYAN, 
Author  of  the  "Pilgrim's  Progrefs^Ioly  War,"  &c.  £?*c 

O  the  blessedness  of  all  theWttiat  trust  in  Him! 
The  full  soul  loatheth  the  hotvey-comb ;  but  to  the 
hungry  soul  every  bitter  thing  is  svVfcct.  Prov.  xxvii.  7. 

PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED  BY  GEORGE  W.  MENTZ. 
NO.  71,  RACE-STREET. 

1812, 


J.  Rakestraw,  printer. 


AN  EPISTLE 

TO  THE 

TRULY  LOWLY-HEARTED  READERS, 

Who  have  learned  of  their  dear  Lord  so  to  be,  who 
himself  will  not  break  the  bruised  reed,  nor  quench 
the  smoking  flax. 


Charitable  Reader. 

CHARITY,  which  is  the  bond  of  per- 
fectness,  and  the  greatest  rarity  now  in  the 
world,  and  in  the  church  too,  (the  more  is 
the  pity)  thou  must  put  on,  who  readestthis, 
the  plainest  and  most  unpolished  piece  that 
ever  thou  sawest,  (for  the  author  never  had 
skill  in  dressing)  if  thou  meanest  to  profit 
any  thing  by  it,  which  is  the  only  thing,  God 
knows,  is  aimed  at  by  the  author,  who  always 
prays  and  studies  to  speak  and  write,  rather 
to  men's  hearts  than  ears. 

In  hope  of  gaining  thy  charity,  suffer  me 
to  give  a  short,  but  true  account  of  the  en- 
suing treatise,  viz.  I  being  about  three  years 
since,  for  some  reasons,  retired  from  my  fa- 
mily and  place  of  abode,  and  by  sickness, 
and  other  things,  confined ;  during  which 
time,  many  of  my  dear  friends  and  relations 


IV  AN  EPISTLE 

in  Christ  were  called  home  to  their  Father *s 
house  ;  whereupon  I  thought  it  my  duty  to 
write  some  lines  to  their  surviving  relations, 
as  I  was  by  them  desired  to  do  ;  and  after 
seeking  God  for  counsel  and  assistance,  I 
thought  on  this  text  spoken  to  in  the  follow- 
ing discourse  ;  (for  it  was  not  at  the  least  in 
my  thoughts  ever  to  publish  this,  or  any 
other,  knowing  my  own  inability.)  I  wrote; 
in  my  homely  stile  what  thou  wilt  here  find, 
(all  except  the  title-page  and  the  postscript,) 
calculating  it  to  the  capacities  of  the  plainest 
Christians,  to  whom  I  then  sent  it,  and  with 
whom  it  lodged,  until  about  six  months,  when 
it  pleased  the  only  wise  God  to  bring  me  to  a 
trial  of  my  faith  and  patience.  So  deep  a 
stroke  it  was,  that  I  used  all  means  for  my 
support ;  and  it  came  into  my  mind,  that  such 
a  thing  I  had  written  so  long  before,  to  help 
in  such  cases,  and  that  several  had  found 
benefit  by  it ;  I  made  enquiry  after  it,  and 
at  last  found  it ;  and  in  reading  of  it,  as  the 
word  of  God,  and  begging  God's  blessing 
on  it,  I  found  much  relief  and  comfort  there- 
by, (all  praise  and  thanks  to  God*)  and 
thereupon  had  some  small  inclination  to 
communicate  the  same  to  others  ;  and  after 
many  strugglings  and  reluctancies  in  myself* 

*  2  Cor.  i.  4,  5. 


TO  THE  READER,  V 

and  with  prayers  and  tears,  I  besought  the 
Lord  to  direct  me  :  at  last  I  considered, 
I  must  shortly  put  off  this  my  earthly 
tabernacle,  and  having  for  many  years 
been  laid  aside  like  a  broken  vessel  of 
no  use,  and  compassed  with  many  bodily  in- 
firmities, I  was  willing  to  leave  behind  me 
a  little  scrap  of  my  labours  to  my  children 
and  friends,  to  put  them  in  mind  of  what  I 
had  taught  them  for  above  thirty  years  toge- 
ther ;  that  they  might  be  fortified  against  all 
the  troubles  of  this  life,  and  by  faith  in  God 
and  Christ,  hold  fast,  and  not  lose  their 
crown. 

But  why  so  mean  a  thing  as  this  among 
the  learned  labours  of  so  many  eminent  wri- 
ters on  the  like  subject? 

I  answer,  that  our  Lord  took  special  no- 
tice of  the  widow's  mite  ;*  and  he  will  not 
despise  the  day  of  small  things. f 

But  what  can  you  aim  at  ?  may  be  said. 

Ansxv.  Not  applause,  to  be  sure,  being 
conscious  of  my  own  weakness  ;  nor  profit 
or  gain,  expecting  but  acceptance  :  but  this, 
God  and  my  conscience  bear  me  witness, 
this  is  my  aim,  my  most  humble  and  fervent 
prayer,  that  some  of  Christ's  poor  little  flock, 
(my   children,  and  others',"  whose  souls  are 

*  Mark  xii.  43,  44,  f  Zech.  iv.  10, 

A2 


VI  AN  EPISTLE 

precious  to  me,  and  whom  I  dearly  love  in 
the  Lord)  may  receive  some  advantage  ; 
and  chiefly,  that  God  may  have  all  the  glory, 
who  hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the 
world,  &c.  and  who  accepts  the  will  for  the 
deed,  &c.  Such  as  will  not  make  use  of  it, 
let  them  do  better,  and  I  shall  be  glad. 

None  may  be  afraid  to  buy  or  read  it,  for 
there  is  not  a  word  of  the  state  or  church- 
matters  in  it ;  I  daily  pray  for  the  prosperity 
of  both,  but  think  it  not  my  duty  to  meddle 
with  either,  but  in  subjection. 

Two  requests  I  have  to  thee,  loving  rea- 
der : 

1.  Pray  for  a  blessing  upon  as  much  as 
you  find  to  be  the  express  will  of  God. 

2.  Pray  for  me,  that  I  may  more  and 
more  find  and  feel  the  life  and  power  of 
those,  and  all  the  truths  of  God  in  mine  own 
heart,  and  may  express  more  of  the  life  and 
faith  in  my  whole  conversation  ;  and  I  will 
also  pray  for  thee,  that  thou  mayest  find  as 
much  (and  much  more)  benefit  in  reading 
this,  as  I  have  in  composing  and  perusing  it; 
all  praise  to  the  God  of  all  grace.  If  you  find 
some  passages  (in  your  opinion)  too  often 
repeated,  be  not  offended,  till  you  find  them 
too  powerful  on  your  hearts. 

Thus  committing  this   poor  essay  to  the 
blessing  of  him  who  is  the  Father  of-xner- 


TO  THE  READER.  Vli 

cies,  and  can  teach  us  to  profit  by  his  word 
and  rod,  and  thyself  to  his  love  and  favour 
in  Jesus  Christ;  in  him  I  remain  for  thy 
soul's  good, 

Thy  hurnbk  Servant, 

J,  B. 

From  the  House  of 
my  Pilgrimage, 
March,  1690. 


KEJUITSEASE 

IN 

HEART-TROUBLE. 


Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled;  ye  believe  in  God, 
believe  also  in  me,     fjfobn  xiv.  1,  2,  3. 

THESE  words  are  a  part  of  our  blessed 
Saviour's  last  sermon  upon  earth,  just  before 
his  passion,  which  begins  (as  is  probable) 
at  the  13th  verse  of  the  xiiith  chapter  of  this 
gospel,  and  ends  at  the  last  verse  of  the  xvith 
chapter  ;  in  which  verse  our  Lord  tells  his 
disciples,  (how  dear  soever  they  were  to  him, 
yet)  in  the  xvorld  theij  should  have  persecu- 
tion^ tribulation  ;  of  which  he  had  often  told 
them  before  in  effect  jj*  that  they  should  not 
expect  their  heaven  here,  but  his  cross  they 
must  bear  if  they  would  wear  his  crown  : 
tribulations  of  all  kinds,  outward  and  inward 
you  must  endure  :  it  is  your  portion  here, 
you  are  thereunto  appointed.!  Man  is  na- 
turally born  to  trouble,  as  the  sparks  natu- 
rally fly  upwards  ;  and  new  born   to  trouble 

*  Matt.  xvi.  24. 

1 1  Thess.  iii.  3.     Job  xiy.  1.     Matt.  x,  22,  23, 


10 


also,  and  commonly  to  new  and  more  trou- 
bles. All  that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Je- 
sus, shall  suffer  persecution  ,•*  of  hand,  or 
tongue,  one  way  or  other.  Indeed,  such  as 
can  be  content  with  a  profession  of  a  godli- 
ness that  may  suit  with  the  times  ;  that  can 
please  themselves  with  any  kind  of  godli- 
ness, or  with  a  form,  any  form  of  godliness, 
and  that  can  change  their  forms  when  they 
please,  such  may  avoid  persecution  :  But  all 
that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus,  in  the 
power  and  spirit  of  Christ  Jesus,  and  resolve 
to  live  up  to  the  example  and  rule  of  Christ 
Jesus,  they  shall  have  persecution,  no  avoid- 
ing of  it.  No  entering  into  the  kingdom  of 
God  but  by  tribulation.  But  notwithstand- 
ing this,  our  Lord  lays  this  positive  com- 
mand on  his  disciples  ;  let  not  your  hearts  be 
troubled* 

These  poor  disciples  were  likely  shortly 
to  sustain  an  heavy  loss  of  their  dearest 
Lord  ;  he  was  now  a  going  away  from  them; 
a  greater  loss  they  could  not  have  :  and  yet, 
saith  Christ,  Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled ; 
which  command  is  repeated  and  explained 
in  verse  27,  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled, 
nor  let  it  be  afraid. 

What !  might  they  say,  must  we  not  be 
troubled  at   all  ?   Must  nothing  trouble  us  1 

*  Acts  xiv.  22.    2  Tim.  iii.  18. 


11 


No,  we  must  not  be  troubled  for  any  outward 
loss,  for  any  outward  tribulation,  for  parting 
with  the  nearest  and  dearest  relation,  we  must 
not  be  troubled.     Yet  we  are  not  forbidden- 
to  be  troubled  for  Zion  ?  It  is  a  grievous  sin, 
not  to  be  grieved  for  the  afflictions  of  Jo- 
seph ?*    Surely,  we   must  be   troubled   for 
God's  dishonour,   because  men  break  God^s 
commandments.]     Trouble  of  heart,  except 
for  sin,  is  sinful  trouble.     Where   sin  lies 
heavy,  affliction  lieth  light.      They  shall  not 
!  say,  I  am  sick;  for  their  iniquities  shall  be 
\  forgiven  them.\     Sense  of  pardon  to  those 
;  souls  that  felt  the  burthen  of  sin,  much  alle- 
,  viates  and  lightens  the   burthen  of  affliction. 
"  Strike,  Lord,  (said  Luther)  now  I  am  ab- 
i  solved  from  my  sin." 

We  are  always  too  prone  to  fall  into  ex- 

|  tremes,  to  sin  either  in  excess  or  in  defect, 

too  much,  or  too  little  ;  we  are  faulty  both 

ways.     As  for  sin,   which  is   the   worst  of 

evils,  we   are   apt  to  be  troubled  too  little, 

How  few  fail  here  in  the  excess,  though  it  is 

possible  so  to  do  ;  and  some  have,  that  refuse 

;  to  be  comforted  by  ail  the  sweet  promises  of 

>  Christ  in  the  gospel :  but  here  there  are  but 

few  of  those  ;  most  of  us  fail  in  the  defect, 

*  Amos  vi.  6.       .  t  p9aU  c'xix.  $$,  f$6 

\  Isa.  xxxiii.  24. 


12 


We  are  not  troubled  for  sin  as  much  as  we 
should  ;  our  sins  do  not  lie  so  hard  and  hea- 
vy upon  us  as  they  should  ;  our  hearts  do 
seldom  feel  the  weight  of  sin  pressing  us 
down  ;*  many  sins  lie  light  on  us  ;  our  vain 
thoughts,  .our  omissions,  careless  perform- 
ance of  holy  duties,  mis-spending  precious 
time,  idle  talk,  &c*  and  such-like  evils,  which 
should  trouble  us  most,  they  trouble  us 
least. 

But  afflictions,  which  comparatively  are 
but  light,f  lie  too  heavy  upon  us,  and  press 
us  down  even  to  the  dust.  So  in  respect  of 
afflictions  themselves,  we  are  apt  to  run  into 
extremes,  against  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
gives  us  a  caution  as  to  both  extremes.  My 
son,  despise  not  thou  the  chastening  of  the 
Lord /  neither  be  weary  of  fits  chastisement  ;\ 
the  apostle  explains  it,  Neither  faint  when, 
thou  art  corrected  of  him:  Adding  a  most 
powerful  argument  against  those  extremes, 
For  whom  the  Lord loveth  he  correcteth,  even 
os  a  father  the  son,  in  whom  he  delighteth  ; 
and  therefore  despise  not  his  chastisements, 
and  fatherly  corrections  ;  slight  them  not, 
for  they  come  from  a  loving  Father,  a  wis3 
Father,   and  should  not  be   despise*!  by  tt|s 


*  Psal.  xxxviii.  3,  4.  fS.Cor.b 

%  Heb.  xii.  5,  6. 


13 

children,  they  are  the  fruits  of  his  love  :  al= 
so,  you  must  not  be  weary  of  them,  nor  faint 
under  them,  for  the  same  reason,  viz.  be- 
cause they  shall  not  hurt  you,  they  flow  from 
your  Fathers  love  ;  from  a  Father  they 
come,  who  delighteth  in  you,  and  therefore 
ye  ought  not  to  faint  under  them  ;  or,  as  it 
is  in  the  text,  Whatever  affliction  befals  you, 
let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled. 

It  is  heart-trouble  you  see,  that  is  here 
forbidden  ;  not  a  filial  sense  of  God's  han&!, 
nor  a  child-like  acknowledgment  of  God's 
rod:  God's  rod  hath  a  voice,  and  its  voice 
must  be  heard.*  When  his  hand  is  lifted 
upf  to  strike,  to  lay  on  any  blows  on  us,  or 
any  of  cur  relations,  or  earthly  comforts,  we 
must  observe  it,  and  Him,  and  acknowledge 
the  same  :  but,  not  to  acknowledge,  and  ob- 
serve the  hand  of  God  ;  not  to  consider  in 
the  day  of  adversity,±  not  to  humble  ourselves 
under  his  mighty  hand$  not  to  stoop  and 
yield  to  God,  but  to  think,  or  say,  of  our  af- 
fliction, that  it  cannot  be  helped,  there  is  no 
remedy,  it  is  common  and  ordinary,  and  the 
like  ;  this  is  to  despise  the  chastening  of  the 
Lord  ;  take  heed  of  this.  But  yet  we  must 
take  heed  too,  that  under  the  pretence  of  be- 

•Mich.  \\  9.  f  Isaiah  xxvi.  11, 16. 

\  Eccles.  vii.  13,  14.  $  James  iv.  9, 10. 

B 


14 


ing  sensible  of  the  hand  of  God,  and  of  his 
strokes  upon  us,  that  we  do  not  fall  into  the 
other  extreme,  of  being  weary  of  his  chas- 
tisements, and  of  despondency,  and  fainting 
under  his  corrections,  we  must  be  careful 
that  we  do  not  let  cur  hearts  be  troubled. 

^iiest.  But  is  it  possible  that  we  should 
be  afflicted,  deprived  of  liberty,  of  estate,  of 
loving  relations,  of  the  desire  of  our  eyes,* 
and  of  the  delight  of  our  hearts,f  (for  such 
in  a  most  eminent  manner  was  Jesus  Christ 
to  his  disciples.  He  was  the  desire  of  all 
nations^)  and  not  be  troubled  at  our  very 
hearts  ?  Can  we  behold  our  Benjamins,  our 
Sarahs,  our  Rebeccas,  our  Josephs,  &c. 
taken  away,  our  dear  husbands,  or  loving, 
faithful,  tender  wives  snatched  away  from  us 
with  a  stroke,  with  a  sudden  stroke,  to  be  in 
a  moment  deprived  of  such  comforts,  and  in 
such  a  time  too,  in  an  evil  time,  in  a  sad  and 
suffering  time,  when  such  helpers'  would 
sweeten  our  sufferings,  and  help  to  bear  our 
burthens,  would  give  us  sweet  counsel,  and 
uphold  us  in  the  way  to  God  ?  What,  is  it 
possible  such  knots  should  be  untied,  and  so 
suddenly;  such  flowers  cropped  oft',  cut  down; 
such  sweet  friends  removed  from  us,  as  lay 

*  Ezek.  xxiv.  16.  f  John  vi.  68. 

\  Haggai.  ii.  7. 


1J 


once  in  our  bosoms,  and  sent  to  the  cham- 
bers of  dirkness,  scaled  up  in  the  dust,  made 
silent  in  the  grave,  to  see  their  sweet  faces  no 
more,  till  the  heavens  be  no  more  ?  Is  it  pos- 
sible, I  say,  in  such  cases,  not  to  be  trou- 
bled ?  Or,  if  it  be  possible,  is  it  necessary, 
or  is  it  attainable  ?  May  we  arrive  to  such 
a  temper,  may  we  get  such  a  calm,  quiet, 
tranquil,  and  submissive  frame  of  spirit  ?  It 
is  admirable  :  but  is  it  attainable  ? 

I  answer,  we  must  not  despise  the  chasten- 
ing of  the  Lord,  as  was  noted  before  ;  we 
muse  not  be  as  stocks  or  stones,  altogether 
insensible  of  the  hand  of  God  upon  us  :  No, 
we  must  be  sensible  we  must  lay  those  things 
to  our  hearts,  and  consider  the  work  of 
God  i*  such  losses,  and  of  such  are  to  be  la- 
mented,! thev  will  be  found  wanting  ;  their 
relations  will  find  them  wanting  ;  their  fami- 
lies will  find  them  wanting  ;  the  poor  will 
find  them  wanting ;  and  the  church  also. 
David  laments  the  loss  of  Jonathan  ;\  and 
the  disciples  the  loss  of  Lazarus.  Lawful 
it  is  then,  to  be  affected  with  the  deaths  and 
departures  of  our  dear  relations  and  friends, 
and  moderately  to  mourn  for  them  ;  but  our 
care  must  be,  that  we   surfer  not   nature    to 

*  Eccles.  vii.  2.  f  La.  Ivii.  1, 

£  Sam.  xix.  4. 


16 


work  alone  without  grace ;  for  then  it  will 
soon  go  beyond  its  bounds  :  nature  must  be 
restrained  and  bounded.  It  is  moderate 
mourning  that  is  lawful.  Mourn  we  may, 
But  not  as  those  that  have  no  hope,*  for  those 
that  sleep  in  Jesus,  they  being  safe  and  hap- 
py: for,  Ifivc  believe  that  Jesus  died,  and  rose 
again  ;  even  so  they  that  sleep  in  Jesus,  zvill 
God  bring'  with  him.  Troubled  we  cannot 
ehuse  but  be  in  such  cases,  and  under  such 
strokes  ;  but  we  must  not  let  our  hearts  be 
troubled,  saith  our  Lord.  And  what  this  im- 
ports, you  shall  see  by  and  by.  It  is  trouble 
of  heart,  that  is  here  forbidden  :  but,  what  is 
it,  that  will  prevent  or  cure  this  heart-trou- 
ble ?  Our  Saviour  answers  in  the  next 
words  ;  Te  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me  ; 
In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions,  &c. 
In  which  we  may  observe  these  parts,  viz. 

1.  An  evil  disease,  or  spiritual  distemper 
intimated  and  prohibited,  to  which  the  disci- 
ples of  Christ  are  incident  and  prone  in  times 
of  affliction  ;  and  that  is,  trouble  of  heart* 
This  may  seize  you,  but  take  heed  of  it,  la- 
bour against  it.  As  if  the  Lord  had  said, 
I  know  it  will  be  a  cutting,  a  killing  thing  to 
you,  to  part  with  me,  )^our  dear  and  loving 
Lord   and    Master ;   but  part  with  me  you 

*  1  Thess.  iv.  13,  14. 


17 


must;  and  take  heed  of  this  indecent  distem 
per  of  heart-trouble  :   Let  not  your  hearts  be 
troubled,  saith  our  Lord  Jesus. 

2.  The  best  preventive  of,  or  remedy  for, 
.this  spiritual  distemper  proposed  and  enjoin- 
ed :  Te  believe  in  God  believe  also  in  me.  As 
if  our  Lord  had  said,  Surely  you  believe  in 
God,  why  then  are  your  hearts  troubled  l 
Cannot  your  faith  in  God  support  you,  if 
you  act:  it  upon  him  ?  But  if  that  cannot,  then 
act  your  faith  also  on  me  :  Believe  also  in  me. 
Set  your  faith  on  work  on  me.  Believe,  that 
I  iove  you,  that  when  I  leave  you,  I  will  not 
leave  you  comfortless  :  /  will  send  the  Com- 
jorter  unto  you,  end  he  shall  abide  zvith  you 
for  ever*  Therefore,  let  not  your  hearts  be 
•troubled.  Believe  in  me;  I  must  leave  you, 
ana  I  and  you  must  part;  but,  believe  where 
I  am  going,  and  let  the  consideration  of  that 
quiet  you,  and  comfort  you  :  In  my  Father's 
house  are  many  mansions,]  There  is  a  bet- 
ter, a  far  better  condition  for  you  above,  than 
that  you  are  in  here  ;  for,  here  you  are  toss- 
ed up  and  down  from  place  to  place,  and 
are  txposed  to  many  straights.  I  myself 
here  on  earth,  have  not  an  house  wherein  to 
lay  nay  head  ;  but  in  my  Fathers  house  are 
many  mansions.     There  is  an  house  above, 

*  John  xiv.  16,  17.  t  Matt,  viii.  20, 

B  2 


18 


not  made  with  hands,  eternal  hi  the  heavens.* 
When  once  you  come  thither,  you  shall  re- 
move no  more  ;  there  are  many  mansions, 
room  enough  for  you  all,  and  for  the  innu- 
merable company  of  angels  and  saints : 
therefore,  Believe  in  me ;  for,  these  things 
are  most  true  that  I  tell  you.  And  believe 
also,  That  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you  : 
I  go  to  take  possession  of  those  celestial 
mansions,  of  those  everlasting  habitations 
for  you,  in  your  name  and  stead  :  while  you 
are  here  on  earth,  I  shall  prepare  you  for 
those  mansions  ;  and  when  I  go  from  you, 
I  will  prepare  them  for  you :  therefore,  to 
prevent  those  heart-troubles  which  you  are 
subject  to  because  of  my  departure  from 
you,  and  to  fortify  you  against  them,  (for  £ 
am  solicitous  for  you  ;)  this  is  the  remedy- 
that  I  propose  to  you,  and  enjoin  you  to 
practise  ;  that,  seeing  you  believe  in  God,  be- 
lieve also  in  me.     Act  your  faith  on  me. 

From  which  words  thus  explained,  £  com- 
mend to  your  Christian  consideration  this 
gospel  doctrine,  viz. 

*  2.  Cor.  v.  J. 


19 
DOCTRINE. 

That  the  lively  acting  of  true  faith  upon  God  and 
Christ,  or  upon  God  in  Christ,  is  the  best  preven- 
tive of,  and  remedy  against  heart-trouble,  under  the 
greatest  loss  whatsoever:  or, — Faith  acted  on  God 
in  Christ,  is  the  sovereign  cure  of  heart-trouble. 

Our  Lord  Jesus  is  very  tender  over  his 
poor  disciples  ;  and  having  foretold  them  ot 
the  hard  usage,  and  bad  entertainment  they 
should  meet  with  in  the  world,  losses  and 
crosses,  tribulations  and  persecutions  ;  he 
nov.  leaves  with  them  some  antidotes  against 
distempers  of  mind  ;  some  cordials  against 
those  iaintings  of  spirit,  and  troubles  of 
heart,  to  which  he  knew  they,  being  flesh 
and  blood,  were  subject :  and  this  in  the  text, 
is  chief  and  principal :  Let  not  your  hearts; 
be  troubled;  ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in 
me.  This  your  faith  will  be  your  best  reme- 
dy, your  best  cure. 

Poor  believers  are  but  princes  in  disguise 
here  in  this  world  :#  princes  they  are,  Christ 
hath  made  them  all  so  ;  but  while  here  be- 
low, they  are  in  a  foreign  land,  under  a  veil. 
It  doth  not  yet  appear  -what  they  shall  be.} 
They  have  a  large  patrimony,  but  it  lies  in- 
deed in  a  land  unknown  to  the  world,  it  is  in 

Pet.  ii.  9.    Rev.  i.  6.  f  1  John  iii.  % 


20 


terra  incognita,  if  the  expression  can  be 
borne.  The  holy,  the  great  God  himself  is 
their  portion,  their  heritage  ;  God  is  their 
sure,  their  full,  their  lasting,  their  everlasting 
portion.*  They  are  heirs  of  a  kingdom.\ 
Heirs  of  salvation. \  Heirs  of  God,  co-heirs 
with  Christ  >§  Yea,  all  things  of  this  world 
are  thcirs.%*  All  things  are  blessed  and 
sanctified  to  them,  and  shall  conduce  to  their 
spiritual  and  eternal  welfare. f\  Yet  not- 
withstanding all  this,  and  although  heaven 
and  earth  is  the  reward  of  godliness,  and 
through  the  merits  of  Christ  (as  it  were)  the 
right  of  those  that  profess  it,  in  the  power 
of  it;  ( Godliness  having  the  promise  of  this 
life,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come  ;)\\  and, 
notwithstanding  believers  have  a  true  title  to 
all  the  good  of  both  worlds  ;  yet  may  those 
poor  (but  blessed)  saints  be  exposed  to  man- 
ifold temptations  and  tribulations  in  this 
world;  they  may  have  a  dark,  and  sad,  and 
stormy  way  of  it  to  their  Father's  house  ; 
they  may  be  stripped  of  all  their  earthly  com- 
forts, may  be  deprived  of  their  liberty,  es- 
tate, nearest  friends  and  relations,  as  we  read 
in  Scripture,  that  such  hath  been  the  portion 

*  Deut.  xxxii.  9.  f  Psal.  cxix.  59.     Lam.  iii.  24. 

%  James  ii.  5.  $  Heb.  ii.  18.      **  Rom.  viii.  4, 

7  M  Cor.  iii.  28.         #  lTim.fr.  & 


of  the  best  saints  :  and  upon  this  trie  people 
of  God  have  been  dejected  and  disquieted, 
they  have  desponded,  their  hearts  have  been 
troubled,  and  have  thereby  displeased  their 
heavenly  Father,  who  has  declared,  that  all 
things  shall  work  together  for  their  good. 

Now,  our  Lord,  in  this  text,  forbids  this 
distemper  of  the  mind,  and  would  not  have 
his  disciples,  who  had  God  for  their  Father, 
and  himself  for  their  Redeemer,  and  who 
had  a  title  to  such  happiness  in  the  other 
world,  to  despond,  and  to  be  disquieted ; 
therefore  he  lays  this  charge  on  them,  Let 
not  your  hearts  be  troubled :  adding  the  pro- 
per means  to  prevent  this  sinful  malady  of 
heart-trouble,  that  it  might  not  seize  on  them; 
or,  if  it  had,  to  cure  them  of  it,  viz.  Te  be- 
lieve in  God,  believe  also  in  me. 

The  lively  acting  of  true  faith  upon  God 
in  Christ,  is  the  best  preventive  of,  and  rem- 
edy against  heart-trouble,  under  the  greatest 
loss  whatsoever.  Which  proposition  I  shall 
prosecute,  by  the  assistance  of  God's  spirit, 
and  according  to  the  measure  of  light  and 
grace  I  have  received,  after  this  manner  and 
method  following : 

First,  by  way  of  demonstration. 

Secondly,  Of  confirmation.  And  then  to 
apply,  and  make  an  improvement  of  it  for 
our  use. 


-22 


1.  By  way  of  demonstration.  Endeavour- 
ing to  shew, 

I.  That  God's  choicest  saints  are  in  this 
world  subject  to  all  kinds  of  troubles,  losses, 
and  afflictions  ;  and  whence  it  is,  and  why 
so. 

II.  That  under  those  losses  and  afflictions, 
they  are  subject  to  despond,  to  be  dejected, 
and  to  be  troubled  in  their  hearts. 

III.  What  this  heart-trouble  is,  that  Christ 
forbids  here. 

IV.  How  that  believing  in  God  and  Christ, 
is  the  best  means  to  prevent  and  cure  this 
heart-trouble. 

I.  That  God's  choicest  saints  are  liable  to« 
all  kinds  of  troubles,  losses,  and  afflictions  ; 
even  the   greatest,  heaviest,  and  sorest ;   as 
we  read  of  job,  David,  and  others. 

God  had  one  Son  without  sin,  but  no  Son 
without  suffering.  His  only-begotten  Son 
was  a  man  of  sorrows;*  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
assures  us,  that  if  ye  be  without  chastening, 
•whereof  all  are  partakers*  then  ye  are  bast 
tarefs,  and  not  sons,  Heb.  viii.  12. 

God's  children  are  liable  to  sufferings, 
whether  we  consider  them  as  men,  or  as 
Christians  :  as  men  ;  Man  that  is  born  of  a 
woman,  is  full  of  trouble,]     As  our  relations 

*  Isa.  liii.  f  Job  xiv.  1. 


23 


and  comforts  increase,  so  do  the  occasions  of 
trouble.  God  never  appointed  this  world  to 
be  the  place  of  man's  rest,*  but  of  our  ex- 
ercise, and  only  a  passage  to  another  world : 
and  in  this  our  passage  we  must  look  for 
storms  and  tempests :  if  we  can  through 
mercy  obtain  a  tolerable  passage  through 
this  world,  and  a  comfortable  passage  out  of 
it,  into  that  better  above,  we  shall  have  cause 
to  bless  the  Lord  to  all  eternity. 

And  much  more  as  Christians  must  we 
expect  troubles  ;  for  a  man  is  no  sooner 
brought  home  to  God,  but  he  must  expect 
to  be  hated  bv  the  world,f  assaulted  by  Sa- 
tan,  chastened  by  the  Lord  ;  our  own  corrupt 
^earts  will  tx  often  vexing  us  ;  the  old  man, 
the  flesh,  thwarting  all  the  motions  of  the 
new  nature,  lusting  against  the  spirit.!  The 
lusts  of  the  flesh  will  be  as  pricks  in  our  eyes, 
and  as  thorns  in  our  sides  :  we  shall  have 
enemies  in  uiir  own  houses. 

lim  tiiis  truth  is  so  manifest  in  all  the 
Scrip;uicb,  that  I  shall  insist  no  longer  on  it, 
only  siiaii  add  this  by  way  of  use  ;  let  all 
Christians  prepare  for  aliliction,  by  getting 
an  interest  in  God  through  Christ ;  by  get- 
ting sin  pardoned    and   purged  ;   by   getting 

*  Gen.  xlvii.  9.  -f  John  xv.  19.     Luke  xxii.  13. 

Gal.  v.  17. 


24 


peace  with  God  and  conscience  ;  by  getting 
our  hearts  crucified  to  the  world  ;  and  then 
when  troubles  come,  let  us  bear  them  as 
Christians,*  not  murmur  and  repine,  but  in 
patience  possess  our  souls  ;f  not  desponding* 
nor  fainting  ;  remembering,  that  our  troubles 
are  no  more,  but  infinitely  less  than  we  have 
deserved. £  He  will  not  lay  upon  man  more 
than  right.§  God  perfectly  understands  our 
need,  and  knows  our  strength.  If  need  be, 
ye  are  in  heaviness.**  He  is  faithful  who 
will  not  suffer  you  to  be  templed  above  that 
ye  are  able  to  bear.  It  is  the  wise,  just,  and 
gracious  God,  and  our  Father  that  tempers 
our  cup  for  us.  Many  earthly  parents  do 
not  correct  their  children  in  measure,  being 
ignorant  of  their  nature  and  disposition  ; 
and  therefore  their  correction  doth  them  no 
good.  Many  physicians  mistake  the  consti- 
tutions of  their  patients,  and  therefore  may 
do  them  more  hurt  than  good :  but  God 
knows  our  need,  and  our  strength,  and  so 
suits  all  his  remedies  accordingly  ;  therefore 
let  us  be  patient,  bearing  our  troubles  with  an 
equal  mind,  not  suffering  as  per  force,  but 
willingly.  It  is  said,  Dan.  iii.  28.  that  they 
yielded  their  bodies  ;  that  is,  cheerfully,  to  the 

*  1  Pet.  iv.  16.        f  Luke  xxi.  19.       |  Ezra  ix.  13. 
$  Job  xxxiv.  13.  **  1  Cor.  x.  13. 


25 


Jire.  In  our  affliction  let  us  search  our 
hearts,  and  try  our  ways  ;*  let  us  fly  to  him 
by  prayer,f  and  resign  up  ourselves  to  him, 
and  trust  in  him,  casting  our  cares  and  bur- 
thens on  him4 

Moreover,  it  is  our  wisdom,  that  while 
we  are  at  ease,  and  have  our  comforts  about 
us,  let  us  look  for  troubles  ;  afflictions  from 
God,  as  well  as  for  God,  are  part  of  our  cross 
which  we  must  take  up  daily.  Sickness, 
death  of  friends,  loss  of  estate,  &c.  we  must 
look  for  them,  that  we  may  not  be  sursprised. 
He  that  buildeth  an  house,  or  a  ship,  doth 
not  make  this  his  chief  work  and  care,  that  it 
should  not  rain  upon  it ;  or  that  it  should 
have  no  storms  or  tempests  ;  for  this  cannot 
be  prevented  by  any  care  of  ours,  but  that  the 
house  or  ship  may  be  made  able  to  endure 
all  without  prejudice.  So  must  it  be  our 
care,  to  provide  for  afflictions  ;  for  to  pre- 
vent them  altogether,  we  cannot ;  but  pre- 
pare for  them  we  may,  and  must,  as  was 
hinted  before  ;  to  treasure  up  God's  promi- 
ses, and  store  our  souls  with  graces,  and 
spiritual  comforts,  and  firm  resolutions  in 
God's  strength,  to  bear  up,  and   hold   on  : 

*  Lam.  iii.  40.         f  1  James  v.  13.         J  Matt  xvi 
24,  Luke  ix.  23.    Psai.  lv.  22.    1  Pet  v.  7, 
c 


26 


We  had  need  be  well  shod  with  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  gospel  of  peace.* 

Most  Christians  are  not  mortified  and 
crucified  to  the  world,  not  acquainted  with 
God  and  the  promise,  as  they  ought  to  be, 
nor  so  resolved  to  follow  God  fully  as  they 
ought,  and  therefore  are  so  dejected  and  dis- 
contented when  affliction  comes:  O!  that 
we  did  count  the  cost,  when  we  first  begin 
to  make  profession  of  Christ ;  and  that  we 
had  such  full  persuasion  of  incomparable 
worth  and  excellency  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  as 
that  we  could  willingly  part  with  all  things 
for  his  sake  !  O  !  that  we  had  such  believing 
apprehensions  of  the  wisdom,  faithfulness, 
righteousness,  and  mercy  of  God ;  such 
sights  of  his  reconciled  face,  and  such  tastes 
oi  his  fatherly  love  to  us  in  Christ,  as  that 
we  eoulcl  quietly  submit  to  his  holy  will,  and 
be  well  satisfied  with  all  his  dispensations 
towards  us.  So  much  for  this  first  particu- 
lar. 

II.  The  disciples  of  Christ,  under  the  af- 
flictions which  they  meet  with  in  this  world, 
are  apt  to  be  troubled  in  their  hearts,  to  be 
disquieted  in  their  minds,  to  be  dejected  and 
discouraged.  It  was  so  with  holy  David, 
Psal.  xliii.  5.     Why  art  thou  cast  dowrij  0 

*Eph.vU5. 


27 


mi)  soul  I  Why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me  i 
He  was  sensible  of  his  afflictions,  and  that 
disquieted  him,  and  cast  him  down.  God's 
people  are  subject  to  disquietments,  because 
they  are  flesh  and  blood,  subject  to  the  same 
passions,*  made  of  the  same  mould,  subject 
to  the  same  impressions  from  without  as 
other  men,  and  their  natures  are  upheld  with- 
the  same  supports  and  refreshments  as 
others,  the  withdrawing  and  want  of  which, 
affecteth  them  as  well  as  others.  And  be- 
sides  those  troubles  they  suffer  in  common 
with  others,  by  reason  of  their  being  called 
out  of  the  world  the  world  hates  them,f  and 
are  therefore  more  exposed  to  tribulation 
than  others,  and  are  apt  to  be  cast  down,  and 
discouraged  :  "this  our  Lord  foresaw  would 
befal  his  disciples  after  his  departure  from 
them;  and  therefore  he  counsels  them  against 
the  same,  let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled. 

®iiest.  But  it  may  be  demanded,  whence 
ariseth  this  heart-trouble,  and  disquietment 
of  mind,  under  afflictions  ? 

Ansxv.  There  are  many  causes  of  it,  which 
is  necessary  for  us  to  know,  that  so  knowing 
the  causes,  we  may  the  better  find  the  cure. 
There  are  outward  and  inward  causes. 

*  James  v.  IT.  t  John  xv,  19, 


28 


First,  Outward  causes.  And  the  first 
may  be  God  himself.  He  sometimes  with- 
draws the  beams  of  his  countenance;  with- 
holds the  sense  of  his  love,  hideth  his  face 
from  his  children, #  (which  the  saints  in  scrip,- 
ture  so  bitterly  complain  of,  and  so  earnestly 
pray  against)  whereupon  the  souls,  even  of 
the  strongest  Christians  are  disquieted. 
This  caused  trouble  to  the  soul  of  Jesus 
Christ  himself. f  When  a  poor  child  of  God, 
together  with  his  affliction,  apprehends  God 
to  be  his  enemy,  and  that  his  troubles  are 
mixed  with  God's  displeasure  ;  and  it  may 
be  his  conscience  tells  him,  that  God  hath  a 
just  quarrel  against  him,:):  because  he  hath 
not  walked  so  holilv,  so  humbly,  so  evenly, 
and  so  strictly  with  God  as  he  might,  had  he 
been  more  watchful,  careful,  and  circum- 
spect ;  and  that  he  hath  not  renewed  his 
peace  with  God  as  he  should  and  might 
have  done  ;  and  this  sense  of  God's  displea- 
sure, puts  a  sting  into  all  his  afflictions,  and 
this  causeth  trouble  of  heart,  and  disquiet- 
ment  of  mind,  and  justly  may  such  a  soul 
be  troubled,  that  hath  ever  felt  the  joys  of 
God's  salvation  $  the  sweet  influences  of  his 

*  Isa.  xlv.  15.  Job  xxxiv.  29.     |  John  x»-  2^.  Psal . 
xiii.  6.    Ibid  xxxvii.  9.  Ibid  xxx.  7.  Ibid  lxix.  17,  ^u 
|  Psal.  xxxviii.  3,  4,  5,  6,  7.     §  Psal.  li.  12. 


2i> 


io\e7  that  hath  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gra- 
cious,^ seeing"  that  in  his  favour  is  life,  and 
his  loving-kindness  is  better  than  life  itself, 
Psal.  xxx.  5.  lxiii.  3. 

Secondli/,  The  devil  is  the  cause  sometimes 
of  the  heart-trouble  of  God's  children.  For 
he  being  a  cursed  spirit,  cast  out  of  heaven, 
full  of  disquietment  himself,  labours  all  he 
can  to  trouble  and  disquiet  others  ;  to  bring 
others  (as  much  as  in  him  lies)  into  the  same 
cursed  condition  with  himself:  He  being 
cast  out  of  paradise  himself,  envies  us  the 
paradise  of  a  good  and  quiet  conscience  ; 
for  that  is  our  paradise  until  we  come  to  hea- 
ven: And  this  paradise  a  poor  child  of  God 
may  possess  in  a  prison,  in  a  dungeon,  on  a 
dunghill. 

Two  main  designs  the  devil  hath  upon 
men  ;  the  one  is,  if  possibly,  by  all  imagina- 
ble sleights,  temptations  and  inticements,  he 
may  keep  men  in  a  course  of  ungodliness,  to 
hinder  them  from  coming  to  Christ  by  faith 
and  repentance,  to  deter  them  from  his  holy 
ways.  And  when  he  cannot  prosper  in  this, 
but  that  unsearchable  rich  and  free-grace 
takes  hold  of  some  poor  souls,  and  they  are 
snatched  out  of  his  hands,  their  captivity  led 
captive  by  that  mighty  Redeemer  ;  then  all 

*  Psal.  xxxiv.  8. 

c  :; 


30 


the  devil's  is,  to  hinder  their  comfort,  and  to 
interrupt  their  peace,  and  to  make  their  way 
to  heaven  as  hard  and  uncomfortable  to  them 
as  possible,  pursuing  them  with  all  dejecting 
and  heart-troubling  temptations. 

Thirdly,  Wicked  men  are  also  active  in 
the  troubling  of  God's  people  ;  they  are,  in- 
deed the  true  troublers  of  God's  Israel.  They 
load  God's  people  with  reproaches :  and 
there  is  nothing  that  the  nature  of  man  is 
more  impatient  of,  than  reproaches  ;  for 
there  is  no  man  so  mean,  but  thinks  himself 
worthy  of  some  respect :  now  a  reproachful 
scorn  shews  an  utter  disrespect  of  a  man, 
which  flows  from  the  very  superfluity  of 
malice.  Reproach  hath  broken  my  hearty 
saith  David,  Psal.  xcvi.  20.  And  nothing 
more  doth  he  complain  of  than  reproach  ; 
and  nothing  more  are  God's  people  liable  to 
than  this.  These  are  the  causes  from  with- 
out. 

Secondly,  There  are  also  inward  causes 
of  heart-trouble  and  despondency :  When 
God's  people  are  in  affliction,  most  times 
that  black  cloud  of  melancholy  also  surrounds 
them,  and  darkness  makes  men  fearful  and 
dejected. 

There  are  many  causes  within  ourselves  ; 
as,  ignorance  of  God  and  of  Christ,  of  the 


31 


covenant  of  grace,  of  the  name  of  God  ;* 
They  that  know  God's  name,  will  trust  in 
him,  and  not  he  dejected.f  Also,  forgetful- 
ness  of  God,  and  of  what  he  hath  done  for 
us.  We  forget  God,  when  we  are  afraid  of 
men4  Our  over-looking,  and  passing  hy 
the  many  comforts  we  enjoy,  even  while  we 
are  under  affliction  ;  taking  little  notice  of 
our  mercies,  but  let  them  be  all  swallowed 
up  in  our  miseries  ;  as  Abraham,  because  he 
had  no  heir  ;§  and  Rachel,  who  said,  give  me 
children,  or  I  die:**  though  she  had  all  other 
earthly  comforts,  yet  the  want  of  this  one  so 
troubled  her,  that  all  the  rest  seemed  noth- 
ing. 

It  is  an  evil  thing  for  us  to  be  wedded  to 
our  own  wills.  None  more  subject  to  dis- 
content, than  those  who  would  have  all  things- 
after  their  own  way,  and  are  mere  strangers 
to  self-denial.  Likewise  false  apprehensions 
of  things,  cause  heart-trouble  ;  to  think  God 
hates  us,  because  he  corrects  us  ;  and  when 
he  takes  from  us,  that  it  is  all  in  wrath. 

Another  common  cause  is  our  own  watch- 
lessness  and  carelessness,  our  neglect  of  keep- 
ing our  heartsff  and  consciences  pure  and 
clean  ;  and  in  time  of  affliction,  these  former 
neglects  of  duty  come  to  our  minds ;  then 

•Exod.  xxxiv.  6,  7.  f  Psal.  ix.  10.  }  Isaiahli.  12, 
13.     »  Gen.  xv.  2.     *•  Ibid  xx.  1.    ft  Prov.  i  v-23. 


32 


conscience  awakes,  and  tells  us  our  former 
faults,  and  this  brings  trouble  of  heart.* 

Moreover,  unnecessary  scruples  cause  dis- 
qv  tness,  solitariness,  idleness:  when  per- 
se will  not  do  what  is  ntedful,  they  are 
troubled  with  that  which  is  needless  ;  and 
idkness  tempts  the  devil  to  tempt  us  and 
trouble  us  :  if  we  cannot  find  work  for  our- 
selves, th^  devil  will  make  work  for  us. 

Also  when  we  are  guilty  of  neglecting  do- 
ing good  to  others,  as  to  our  relations,  not 
reproving,  admonishing,  or  encouraging 
them  as  we  ought,  or  have  neglected  to  re- 
ceive that  good  from  them  that  we  might ; 
but  now  they  are  dead  and  gone,  and  we  can 
no  more  do  any  good  to  them,  nor  receive 
any  from  them  ;  this  hath  troubled  many  on 
their  sick  and  death-beds. j: 

Inconstancy,  wavering  in  the  ways  of  God, 
will  also  breed  disquiet.  And  our  inordi- 
nate love  of  crtature-comforts,  our  setting 
our  hearts  on  friends,  estates,  and  the  like, 
letting  out  our  hearts  on  husbands,  wives, 
children,  &c.  This  is  to  build  castles  in  the 
air,  expecting  contentment  in  and  from  those 
things  than  cannot  yield  it. 

Also,  multitude  of  worldly  business,  and 
too  much  poring  on  our  afflictions,  and  fore- 

*  1  Kings  xvii.  IS,  |  Gal.  vi.  ty>. 


33 


casting  the  events  of  things.  You  see  what 
a  crowd  of  causes  here  be  within  ourselves 
of  disquiet  and  heart-trouble. 

The  third  particular  proposed,  is,  what  is 
this  heart-trouble  which  Christ  here  forbids 
his  people,  and  that  he  would  fortify  them. 
against  ? 

Anszu.  This  heart-trouble  is  such  a  sense 
of  evils  felt  or  feared,  as  creates  to  us  heart- 
disquietment,  dejection,  despondency,  de- 
priving us  of  that  tranquillity,  peace  and  com- 
fort which  we  had  in  ourselves,  or  otherwise 
might  have.  It  is  such  a  disturbance  of  our 
passions,  such  a  storm  and  tempest  in  our 
spirits,  as  causeth  inward  motions,  emotions 
and  commotions  of  mind,  putting  all  things 
in  the  soul  out  of  order  ;  and  it  carries  in  it 
several  evil  things,  as  follow  : 

First,  Sinful  sorrow,  worldly  sorrow. 
When  Christ  had  told  his  disciples  that  he 
would  leave  them  ;  and  that  alter  he  was 
gone  they  should  be  exposed  to  hard  and 
heavy  things  from  the  world,  bitter  persecu- 
tion for  his  name-sake  ;  then  sorrow  filled 
their  hearts,  John  xvi.   1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6. 

God's  own  servants,  Christ's  own  disci- 
ples may  have  their  hearts  filled  with  sorrow  ; 
against  this  our  Lord  commands  many  pre- 
servatives in  this  sermon.  The  ground  of 
this  sorrow  is  from  ourselves,  from  our  own 


34 


hearts,  though  Satan  will  have  a  hand  in  it, 
and  it  comes  not  from  humility,  but  from 
pride  ;  because  we  cannot  have  our  wills, 
tht  refore  wc  are  discontented.  We  may- 
thank  ourselves  not  only  for  our  troubles,  but 
for  our  over  much  troubling  of  ourselves  in 
our  troubles.  If  we  ward  and  guard  against 
this  worldly  sorrow,  our  troubles  would  not 
lie  so  heavy  on  us  as  they  do  ;*  for  as  the 
joy  of  the  Lord  doth  raise  and  strengthen  the 
soul,  so  doth  sorrow  deject  and  weaken  it ; 
sorrow  and  grief  doth  lie  like  lead  to  the 
heart,  cold  and  heavy,  and  sinks  it  downward 
still:  sorrow  contracteth  and  draweth  the* 
soul  into  itself,  from  that  communion  and 
comfort  it  might  have  with  God  and  man  \ 
and  it  weakeneth  the  execution  of  the  offices 
of  it,  because  it  drinketh  up  the  spirits,  it 
melteth  the  soul,f  it  causeth  it  to  drop  away. 
Yea,  in  this  kind  of  heart-trouble,  God's  own 
people  are  many  times  more  excessive  than 
others. 

1.  Because  many  times  their  burthens  are 
greater,  their  temptations,  desertions,  trou- 
ble for  sin  greater;  as  their  joys  are  unspeak- 
able and  glorious,  so  their  sorrows  are  some- 
times above  expression.  Common  natural 
courage    will    carry   a   man    through    other 

*  Nehem.  y'in.  10.  f  Fsal.  cvii.  26. 


J5 


single  afflictions  :  but  sin  is  a  heavier  burth- 
en than  affliction,  and  the  wrath  of  God,  than 
the  wrath  of  man. 

2.  They  have  a  greater  sense  than  others, 
their  hearts  being  made  tender  by  religion; 
they  have  also  a  clearer  judgment  than  others 
and  see  more  into  the  nature  of  things  than 
others  :  they  see  a  greater  evil  in  sin,  and  in 
the  displeasure  of  God  than  others  :  they  va- 
lue God's  favour  more  than  others  ;  there- 
fore when  he  hides  his  face,  they  cannot  but 
be  troubled.  They  observe  more  of  the  dis- 
pleasure of  God  in  afflictive  providences  than 
others  do,  and  therefore  they  have  more  sor- 
row. 

3.  They  have  more  tender  affections  than 
others,  the  new  heart  is  a  soft  heart :  A. 
stamp  is  sooner  set  upon  wax  than  upon  a 
stone. *  A  wicked  man  hath  more  cause  to 
be  troubled  than  a  godlv  man  ;  but  he  is  not 
a  man  of  that  tenderness  and  sens--,  and 
therefore  is  not  so  affcted,  either  with  God's 
dealings  with  him,  or  with  his  dealings  with 
God. 

Thus  we  find  often  in  scripture  good  souls 
depressed  with  sorrow.  David  said,  he  was 
like  a  skin  bottle  in  the  smoke,  all  wrinkled 
and    dried    up.     Read   PsaL    xxxviii.    and 

*PsaJ.  cii.  3.    Ibid  xxxii.  4.  Job  xxx,  30,   Lam.  v. 


xxxix.  11.  When  thou  xvlth  rebukes  dost 
correct  man  for  sin,  (that  is,  by  sickness, 
death  of  relations,  and  other  losses)  thou 
makest  his  beauty  (that  is  of  his  outward 
man)  to  consume  away  like  a  moth  ;  where- 
as the  beauty  of  the  soul  grows  fair  by  af- 
fliction, but  that  of  the  body  is  blasted. 
Age,  sickness,  losses  will  make  the  beauty 
of  the  body  to  fade,  but  that  of  the  soul  to 
shine,  2  Cor.  iv.  14.  Though  our  ouiward 
man  doth  decay  and  perish,  our  inward 
man  is  renexved  day  by  day.  But  for  world- 
ly sorrow  ;  that,  too  often,  not  only  weaken- 
eth  the  body,  but  also  causeth  heart-trouble. 
A  merry  heart  doth  good  like  a  medicine,  but 
a  broken  spirit  drieth  the  bones,  Prov.  xvii. 
22. 

Quest.  But  is  this  worldly  sorrow  lawful 
and  commendable  ? 

Answ.  No  surely;  for  there  are  many 
evils  in  it,  which  we  should  avoid.     As, 

First,  Impatience  and  murmuring  against 
God  ;  that  is  an  effect  of  immoderate  sor- 
row ;  when  our  wills  are  crossed,  we  can- 
not bear  it,  for  want  of  self-denial. 

Secondly,  Quarrelling  at  instruments. 

Thirdly,  Usingi  ndirect  means  for  our  re- 
lief. It  is  better  to  pine  awav  in  our  afflic- 
tions than  to  be  freed  from  them  by  signing* 


Fourthly,  Desponding  and  distrustful 
thoughts  of  God.  Is  his  mercy  clean  gone  ? 
Will  he  he  favourable  no  more  $  Psal.  lxxvii. 

Fifthly,  Questioning  our  interest  in  God, 
merely  because  of  the  affliction  upon  us.* 
Judges  vi.  15.  If  God  be  with  as,  why  is 
all  this  befallen  us  f  Not  considering,  how 
hard  soever  God  dealeth  with  his  people, 
yet  he  loveth  them,  Heb.  xii.  6. 

Sixthly,  Sometimes  atheistical  thoughts  do 
arise,  as  if  there  were  no  God,  no  provi- 
dence; as  if  it  were  in  vain  to  serve  the 
Lord.f 

Seventhly,  This  worldly  sorrow  indispo- 
seth  to  all  good  duties  ;  it  makes  a  man  like 
an  instrument  out  of  tune,  or  a  bone  out  of 
joint  ;  which  makes  the  body  move  both  un- 
comely and  painfully  :  It  unfits  for  duty  to 
God  and  man. 

Eighthly,  It  makes  a  man  forget  former 
mercies,  and  overlook  present  mercies  ;  all  is 
nothing  under  present  sufferings.  Give  me 
children,  or  else  I  die. 

Ninthly,  It  makes  us  unfit  to  receive  mer- 
cies, and  to  embrace  the  best  counsels  ;  such 
plaisters  will  not  stick,  they  refuse  to  be 
comforted,  Psal,  lxxvii.  2. 

*  Rev.  iit.  19,  t  Psal.  1'xxiii.  T3. 


38 


Tenthiif)  It  disposeth  us  to  receive  any 
temptation :  Satan  hath  never  more  advan- 
tage than  upon  discontent. 

Eleventhly,  It  hinders  beginners  from 
coming  into  the  ways  of  God. 

Twelfthly,  It  rejoiceth  and  hardeneth  the 
wicked,  and  it  grieves  and  damps  the  spirits 
of  our  friends.  All  these  and  many  more 
evils,  are  in  worldly  sorrow. 

Therefore,  this  evil  tempter  we  must 
labour  against,  and  not  suffer  ourselves  to  be 
dejected  in  sickness,  contempt  in  the  world, 
loss  of  friends  and  relations,  loss  of  honour, 
and  earthly  interest :  may  we  only  think  to 
be  exempted  from  chastisements,  whereof  all 
God's  children  are  partakers?*  And  must 
God  make  a  new  way  to  heaven  for  us  ?  Or 
do  we  think  it  best  for  us  to  live  here  for  ever, 
in  ease  and  plenty,  and  honour,  and  never  see 
a  change  ?  No  surely,  it  is  in  vain  to  think  so: 
it  becometh  us  betimes,  to  prepare  for  crosses. 
None  so  strong,  lively  and  brisk  now,  but 
they  shall  shortly  wither  and  decay.  None 
hold  their  heads  so  high  now,  but  they  must 
shortly  lay  them  down  in  the  dust.  We,  and 
our  dearest  relations  must  part. 

It  would   be   our   wisdom,  to   turn   the 
stream  of  our  sorrow  for  losses  and  crosses, 

•  Heb.  xii.  10. 


39 


into  Godly  sorrow  for  sin,  then  it  will  run  in 
its  right  channel.  Let  our  sins  lie  heavy 
upon  us,  and  then  our  afflictions  will  lie 
light :  let  us  grow  weary  of  our  sins,  not  of 
our  sufferings.*  God  doth  not  afflict  wil- 
lingly, nor  grieve  the  children  of  men,]  Let 
us  consider  also,  the  real  spiritual  benefit  of 
afflictions  :  God  aims  at  our  profit  \\  and  in 
good  time,  in  the  best  time  he  will  send  de- 
liverance. And  be  sure,  those  that  are  not 
unmindful  of  their  duty,  God  will  not  be  un- 
mindful of  their  safety. 

But  that  which  should  mostly  affect  us, 
and  make  us  take  heed  of  immoderate  world- 
ly sorrow,  is,  to  consider,  that  this  kind  of 
sorrow  of  heart,  is  God's  curse,  imprecated 
on  God's  enemies  ;  Lam.  iii.  65.  Give  them 
sorrow  of  heart,  thy  curse.  As  Godly 
sorrow  is  God's  blessing,  a  grace  of  God's 
spirit,  a  fruit  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  a 
fruit  of  faith  ;§  so  worldly  sorrow  is  God's 
curse,  and  a  bitter  fruit  of  unbelief.  They 
that  sorrow  for  sin  shall  be  comforted  :**  but 
they  that  mourn  immoderately  for  outward 
losses,  there  shall  be  none  to  comfort  them. 
This  is  the  first  piece  of  heart-trouble  which 

*  Matt.  xi.  28.  f  Prov.  »»•  U.    Lam- »"•  53- 

\  Heb.  xii.  10.        i  Ezek.  xxxvi  31.    Zech.  xii.  10. 
••  Matt.  v.  4. 


40 


Jesus  Christ  hath  forbidden.  Let  not  your 
hearts  be  troubled;  that  is,  not  filled,  and 
overcome  with  worldly  sorrow  :  whatever 
your  losses  and  crosses  be,  let  not  your  sor- 
row go  beyond  its  lawful  bounds  j  take  heed, 
let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled. 

Secondly,  Another  piece  of  heart-trouble, 
is,  sinful  fear*  And  against  this  distemper 
also  Christ  counselleth  his  disciples  ;  Let  not 
your  heart  be  troubled,  nor  let  it  be  afraid^ 
yer.  27.  As  if  he  had  said,  let  not  that  dis- 
temper of  base  slavish  fear,  seize  your 
hearts. 

This  fear  is  a  passion,  or  rather  a  perturba- 
tion of  mind,  whereby,  upon  the  sense  of  ap- 
proaching evils,  the  mind  is  discomposed 
and  disordered,  and  the  heart  troubled  and 
dejected. 

This  fear  is  a  tyrant  where  it  comes,  and 
it  tyrannizes  where  it  prevails :  as  Job  iv. 
14,  15.  We  read  how  it  prevailed  over  that 
famous  believer,  the  father  of  believers, 
Abraham,  to  his  prejudice,  and  to  the  dis- 
credit of  his  religion  ;  who,  through  fear  de- 
nied his  wife  once  and  again,  Gen.  xii.  and 
Gen.  xx.  And  good  Isaac  was  taken  in  the 
same  fault,  Gen.  xxvi.  This  fear  troubles 
mens'  peace,  and  disquiets  their  minds,  that 
they  are  said  sometimes  to  be  like  the  leaves 
of  the  forest ;  and  this  fear  is  often  forbidden 


41 


to  Abraham,  Gen.  xv.  1.  and  to  Isaac,  Gen. 
xxvi.  24.  And  when  Israel  was  in  the  great- 
est dangers  that  ever  men  were,  they  were 
forbid  to  fear,  Exod.  xiv.  13.  Is  a.  viii.  12. 
chap.  xli.  10.  And  in  the  New  Testament, 
our  Lord  strongly  cautions  against  this  fear, 
Lake  xii.  4,  32.  Rev.  ii.  10.  Fear  none  of 
those  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer.  Slavish 
fear  troubles  the  heart  more  than  any  thing. 

Object.  But  may  we  not  fear  God's  judg- 
ments ?  Did  not  good  Josiah  tremble  at 
them  ?  And  did  not  holy  David  say,  in  Psak 
cxix.  120,  I  am  afraid  of  thy  judgments. 

Anszv.  Doubtless,  it  is  our  dutv  so  to  do  : 
when  we  see  the  same  sins  abound,  for  which 
God  hath  executed  his  judgments  in  former 
times,  we  ought  to  lay  them  to  heart,  and  to 
be  afFected,  Jer.  vii.  12.  chap.  iii.  7,  8,  9, 
10.  Luke  xv'ri.  26,  &c.  Remember  Lot's  rvife, 
said  our  Lord.  So,  1  Cor.  x.  2  Pet.  ii.  9. 
Rom.  i.  18.  Dan.  ix.  5.  Zeph.  iii.  6,  7,  a  re- 
markable Scripture. 

Although  it  went  well  with  Nehemiah 
himself,  yet  he  had  a  sad  resentment  of  the 
state  of  Jerusalem,  Nefu  i- 

God's  people  have  tender  hearts.  Wick- 
ed men  have  hearts  of  stone  ;  when  God 
smites  them,  they  are  not  grieved,  Jer.  v.  3* 

But  we  must  distinguish  of  fear. 
1)2 


4a 


First,  There  is  a  natural  lawful  fear,  when 
evils  are  approaching  to  our  bodies,  or 
names,  or  friends,  or  the  like,  dangers  are 
apparent,  it  is  natural  to  fear.  This  was  in 
the  best  men  in  the  world  ;  it  was  in  Christ 
himself,  Mark  xii.  14,  15.  Also  it  is  said, 
He  feared,  and  xvas  sore  amazed,  Mark  xiv. 
33,  vet  without  sin. 

Secondly,  There  is  a  lawful,  filial  fear  of 
God's  judgments,  which  ariseth  from  the  con- 
sideration of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  of  God's  right- 
eousness ;  of  his  hatred  of  sin,  and  his  wrath 
against  it ;  which  fear  produceth  repentance, 
self-examination,  a  turning  to  God  with  our 
whole  hearts,  through  reformation,  and  an 
endeavour  to  secure  ourselves  in  God's  cov- 
enant, and  to  hide  ourselves,  Prov.  xxii.  3. 
A  prudent  man  foreseeth  the  evil,  and  hideth 
himself.  A  striving  to  get  into  Christ,  and 
to  get  clear  evidences  of  God's  love  to  us  in 
Christ :  I  say,  such  a  fear,  that  worketh 
these  effects,  is  a  grea*  duty. 

Thirdly,  There  is  a  base  slavish  fear  of 
approaching  evils,  arising  fro-m  our  misap- 
prehensions of  God  ;  producing  in  us  unwor- 
thy thoughts,  sinking  into  despondency,  and 
inciting  to  murmuring  and  impatience,  and 
putting  us  upon  sinful  shifts,  the  use  of  un- 
lawful means  to  prevent  or  escape  dangers  ; 
a  fear  of  despondency,  a  vexatious,  distract- 
ing fear,  that  drives  from  God,  and  unfits 


A.- 


for  service  :  A  tormenting,  disquieting  fear, 
that  unsettles  and  discomposeth  our  minds, 
disturbs  our  peace,  suspends  our  acts  of  faith, 
and  disposeth  us  to  diffidence,  distrust,  and 
impatience:  this  is  the  fear  that  Christ  would 
not  have  his  peoples'  hearts  troubled  with. 

Fourthly,  Another  piece  of  heart-trouble, 
is  care,  vexatious,  distracting  care,  which 
our  Lord  would  not  have  his  disciples  trou- 
ble themselves  with  ;  and  therefore  he  useth 
so  many  powerful  arguments  to  dissuade 
them  from  it,  Matt.  vi.  from  verse  25,  on- 
ward.* 

1st,  He  assures  us,  it  is  God  that  takes 
care  for  our  bodily  life,  we  trust  him  with 
that  j  how  much  more  should  we  for  food 
and  raiment. 

2d/y,  Saith  he,  your  Father  takes  care  for 
the  fowls,  and  provides  for  them,  Are  ye  net 
muck  better  than  they  '' 

3c////,  He  clotheth  the  lilies,  and  will  he 
not  clothe  you  ? 

Athly,  You  cannot,  by  all  your  care,  make 
yoi*r  condition  better  than  God  hath  appoint- 
ed it  shall  be-  ver.  27. 

5thly,  Your  heavenly  Father  knows  you 
want  all  these  things. 

bthly,  They  that  are  ignorant  of  God,  and 
of  his  fatherly  care  and  good  providence,  that 

*Psal.civ.21,27,2?, 


44 


have  no  God  to  care  for  them,  they  trouble 
themselves  with  those  cares  ;  therefore  you 
should  not  do  so,  who  have  an  heavenly  Fa- 
ther that  dearly  loves  you,  and  looks  after 
you. 

7thh/y  You  have  the  promise  of  the  faith- 
ful God,  to  have  all  necessaries  provided  for 
you,  while  you  make  it  your  care  to  serve, 
please,  arid  trust  in  him.  Ver.  23.  All  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you. 

St/ily,  We  have  no  cause  to  be  thought- 
ful for  time  to  come,  because  every  day 
brings  evil  enough  with  it ;  and  therefore  it 
is  no  wisdom  to  perplex  ourselves  with 
cares,  ver.  last. 

So  again,  Luke  xxi.  34.  Phil,  iv,  6.  Be 
careful  for  nothing:*  Our  Lord  also  shews 
us  how  prejudicial  such  cares  are  to  our  pro- 
fiting by  tht;  word.f  And  expressly  com- 
mands us,  to  cast  our  cares  upon  him,  for  he 
carethfor  us.\ 

Fifthly,  Despondency  of  spirit,  dejected- 
ness,  distrust,  discouragement,  are  other 
pieces  of  heart-trouble.  Such  as  was  in  Da- 
vid, PsaL  cxii.  3,  4,  5.  cxliii.  4.  xlii.  5.  Cast- 
ing-down breeds  di^uietment,  because  it- 
springs  from  pride,  which  is  a  turbulent  pas- 

*  Mark  iv.  19.  +  Luke  vii.  12.    Tsal.  Iv.  22. 

\  1  Pet.  v.  7 


4o 


sion  ;  and  every  thing  that  crosselh  and  dis- 
appoints it,  causeth  a  combustion  in  the 
mind  :  when  a  man  cannot  come  down,  and 
stoop  to  that  condition  that  God  casts  him 
into,  then  he  is  discontented  ;  and  this  comes 
from  his  pride,. 

A  Christian  should  be  very  careful  to  keep 
up  his  spirits,  when  his  condition  in  the 
world  falls  down.  Could  we  but  bring  our 
minds  to  our  conditions,  to  like  and  be  pleas- 
ed with  our  conditions  ;  as  being  certainly 
persuaded,  that  our  present  condition  is  best 
for  us  ;  it  would  be  all  as  good,  all  as  well, 
all  as  comfortable  to  us,  as  if  we  could  bring 
our  condition  to  our  minds  ;  for  one  of  these 
must  be  done,  or  else  we  shall  never  be  free 
from  heart-trouble  while  we  live.  Either 
our  minds  must  be  brought  just  even  to, 
and  suited  and  compliant  to  our  conditions, 
be  it  sickness,  poverty,  shame,  prison,  &c. 
or,  our  conditions  must  be  suited  just  even 
to  our  minds.  We  have  a  mind  to  health, 
to  liberty,  &c.  we  must  have  them,  or  we 
are  troubled.  Now  this  latter  is  wholly  and 
altogether  out  of  our  power,  we  cannot  add 
one  cubit  to  our  stature.  It  is  the  Lord  that 
appoints  all  our  conditions  for  us  ;  we  can- 
not make  our  conditions  happy,  honourable, 
&c.  of  ourselves,  and  without  God  :  but  the 
former  is  in  our  power  :  by  the  help  of  God's 


46 


spirit  of  grace,  we  may  bring  our  minds  to 
our  conditions  :#  it  is  an   holy  art,  attain- 
able in  the  use  of  God's  means.     Content- 
ment m,  and  with  our  condition,  is  the  bring- 
ing of    our   minds   to    our   conditions,   to 
he  even,  and  suitable,  and  square  one  with 
the  other;  and  this  is,  as  I  said,  an  holy 
art,   attainable    by    Christians,  PAz7.iv.il. 
St.  Paul  had  learned  it,f  and  so  may  other 
Christians.     It  is  the  suitableness  between 
our  minds  and  our  conditions,  that  breeds 
quiet  and  content :  and  if  we  have  not  quiet 
in  our  own  minds,  all  outward  comforts  will 
do  no  more  good,   than  a  silken  stocking  to 

foot  kS  ■  °r  a  g°lden  Slipper  t0  a  S°uty 

Now,  it  is  only  God  that  can,  but  never 

will  (except  in  wrath)  bring  any  man's  con- 

u1°?Jt?hlS1mind;  for  thcn  his  condition 
should  be  changed  almost  every  moment ; 
so  mutable  is  man's  mind :  God  will  not 
bring  the  condition  of  the  wicked  to  their 
mind  (except  in  wrath,  as  was  said  ;)  for,  as 
their  outward  prosperity  doth  increase,  so  do 
their  desires  after  more  :  and  the  wise  man 
tells  us,  The  eye  is  never  satisfied  with  see- 
ing.\     And  the  more  they  have,  the  more 

*  1  Tim.  vi.  8.    Heb.  xiii.  5.  +1  Tim  vi  6 

\  Eaclcs.  iv.  8.     Ibid.  v.  10. 


they  crave,  They  can  never  have  enoug 
And  for  the  godly  themselves,  they  are  not 
so  free  from  covetousness  as  they  should  be  ; 
but  still  need  to  learn  this  lesson  of  content- 
ment, and  to  be  learning  of  it  all  their  days. 
And  most  commonly,  if  not  always,  God,  by 
his  grace,  brings  their  minds  to  their  condi- 
tions ;  and  not  their  conditions  to  their 
minds.  And  for  this  wise  Agur  prays, 
Prov.  xxx.  9.  Two  dangerous  extremes  he 
prays  against ;  the  one  is  poverty,  that  would 
breed  discontent,  in  that  his  mind  would  be 
below  his  condition,  debased  to  vile  and  sin- 
ful practices,  as  stealing,  &c.  The  other  is 
riches  ;  that  would  breed  discontent,  in  that 
his  mind  would  be  above  his  condition,  and 
that  would  lift  him  up  to  base  pride,  and  for- 
getfulness  of  God:  therefore  he  begs  a  suit- 
ableness and  conveniency  between  his  mind 
and  condition  :  Feed  me  with  food  conveni- 
ent. 

Certainly,  we  shall  never  be  free  from 
heart-trouble,  till  our  mind  be  brought  suit- 
able to  our  conditions,  and  such  a  frame 
would  prevent  casting-down  in  time  of  afflic- 
tion. To  like  our  condition,  to  be  pleased 
and  satisfied  with  it,  and  with  the  holy  will 
of  God  in  it ;  that  is,  to  be  content,  content 

*  ft*.  Will. 


48 


with  sickness,  poverty,  shame,  prison,  loss  of 
relations  and  friends,  &c.  In  a  word,  when 
our  wills  lie  even  with  God's  will,  (as  in  all 
reason  they  should)  and  our  minds  lie  even 
with  our  conditions,  then  have  we  inward 
peace  and  tranquillity,  quietness  and  content- 
ment, and  never  till  then  :  then  sickness  is  as 
good  as  health ;  and  poverty  as  good  as 
riches  ;  and  a  prison,  &c.  And  this  is  that 
blessed  frame  of  spirit  we  must  labour  for, 
and  we  ourselves  shall  have  the  sweetness 
of  it :  otherwise,  it  is  in  a  man's  mind,  as  it 
is  ^vith  the  body,  when  bones  are  out  of 
joint,*  there  is  nothing  but  pain  and  trouble; 
but  this  bringing  of  our  minds  to  our  condi- 
tions, is  the  setting  of  the  bone  again.  Cast- 
ing down  ourselves,  despondency,  discour- 
agement, which  arise  from  discontent,  are 
great  pieces  of  heart-trouble. 

This  distrust  of  God's  providence  is  Jk 
grand  evil,  when  we  think  we  cannot  live,  I 
unless  we  have  a  greater  portion  of  earthly 
things  ;  and  this  sets  us  upon  carking  cares  ; 
we  know  not  how  we  and  ours  shall  be  pro- 
vided for,  &c.  Now  this  we  may  cure,  by 
casting  ourselves  upon  God's  promises. f  1 
Pet.  v.  7.  Psalm  xxxiv.  lxxxiv.  11.  Ileb. 
xiii.  5.  Let  us  cast  ourselves  on  God's  pro- 

*  Psal.  xliii.  5.  f  IBiU  lv  I 


49 


violence  :  will  he  provide  for  ravens,  and 
clothe  lilies,  and  neglect  his  own  children  ? 
It  cannot  be  imagined. 

Earthly  things  are  but  a  vain  shew  ;  they 
can  give  us  no  joy  of  heart,  nor  peace  of  con- 
science ;  they  cannot  add  one  cubit  to  our 
stature,  nor  one  moment  to  our  lives. 

Moreover,  this  happy  state  of  mind  is  at- 
tainable.* Eli  had  it,  1  Sa?n.  iii.  18,  and 
David,  2  Sam.  xv.  25,  26.  It  is  the  Lora\ 
let  him  do  what  seemetk  him  good.  There- 
fore let  us  labour  for  such  a  spirit ;  such  a 
contented  frame  of  mind  is  worth  a  king- 
dom :  without  it  godliness  itself  is  not  great 
gain  :  it  must  be  laboured  for  ;  Paul  said,  he 
had  learned  it ;  it  was  a  hard  lesson,  but 
sweet  when  learned. 

Fifthly,  Persecution  may  cause  heart-trou- 
ble ;  when  men  are  offended.  Matt.  xiii.  21. 
When  Peter  was  an  offence  to  Christ,  he 
was  a  trouble  to  him.  Our  Lord  did  on 
purpose  foretell  his  disciples  what  persecu- 
tions they  should  undergo,  that  they  might 
not  be  offended  ;f  forewarned,  fore-armed. 
It  is  a  blessed  thing  not  to  be  offended  at  per- 
secution for  Christ.  He  foretold  his  disci- 
ples, the  night  before  his  passion,  that  all  of 

•  Psal.  xxxix.  9.     Phil  iv.  12, 13.  f  Matt.  JSff, 

31,  56, 

E 


jQ 


them  should  be  offended  at  him  that  night:* 
which  came  to  pass  ;  for  one  of  them  openly 
denied  him,  and  the  rest  forsook  him  and 
fled.  To  be  troubled  at  persecution  for 
Christ's  sake,  is  to  be  the  cross  of  Christ ; 
and  that  he  would  not  have  his  disciples  to 
be  by  any  means,  Mark  viii.  38. 

Object.  But  is  it  not  said,  Psal.  cxix.  165, 
Great  peace  have  they  that  love  thy  Iazvy  and 
nothing  shall  offend  them  ?  How  then  came 
the  people  of  God  to  be  offended  ? 

1  answer.  They  that  truly  love  God's  law, 
because  they  love  God,  such  shall  have  peace 
with  God,  and  with  their  own  consciences  ; 
and  that  is  great  peace,  and  nothing  shall  of- 
fend them  ;  that  is,  much  trouble  them,  sines 
they  have  peace  with  God,  and  with  their 
own  consciences  :  outward  losses  and  crosses 
are  easily  borne,  they  shall  make  no  breach 
upon  their  inward  peace.  They  that  have 
fchis  character  of  God's  children,  will  not  be 
stumbled  at  God's  dispensations,  let  them  be 
never  so  cross  to  their  desires  ;f  because  thej 
have  a  God  to  fly  unto  in  all  their  troubles., 
and  a  sure  covenant  to  rest  upon  :  therefore 
the  reproaches  cast  on  them,  and  on  the 
ways  of  God,  do  not  scandalize  them,  for 
they  have  found  God  in  that  very  way  which 

*  John  xvi.  1.  t  Sam.  xxiii.  5. 


others  speak  evil  of  ;  they  are  not  so  offend- 
ed by  any  thing  that  attends  the  way  of  God, 
as  to  dislike  or  forsake  that  way.  Neverthe- 
less, rue  must  take  heed  that  we  be  not  offend- 
ed. 

Sixthly,  Temptations  from  Satan  may 
causs  heart-trouble  and  vexation :  Satan's 
suggestions,  his  fiery  darts,  these  tormenting 
thoughts  which  he  casts  into  the  minds  of 
Christ's  disciples,  create  to  them  much  dis- 
turbance and  heart-trouble.  So  soon  as  any 
man  is  plucked  out  of  the  devil's  hands,  by 
the  mighty  power  of  Christ's  spirit,  he  falls 
upon  him  speedily  with  all  his  force,  to  trou- 
ble such  a  soul  and  vex  it ;  so  that  he  shall 
enjoy  little  peace  if  Satan  can  hinder  it.  So 
long  as  the  devil  keeps  possession  in  the 
soul,*  he  keeps  all  in  peace,  (a  sad  peace  !) 
But  when  a  stronger  than  he  comes,  and 
casteth  out  this  strong  man  armed,  then  Sa- 
tan rageth  to  recover  his  lost  captive  soul, 
and  vexeth  that  soul  with  all  his  temptations: 
but  let  not  this  break  your  peace,  nor  cause 
heart-trouble.  As  Christ  hath  overcome  the 
world,  and  therefore  bids  his  disciples  to  be 
of  good  cheer,  John  xvi.  20,  so  hath  he  also 
overcome  the  devil  ;  he  hath  trodden  this 
serpent  under  his  feet  already,  and  this 
Prince  of  Peace  will  tread  him  under  your 

•  Luke  xi.  21,  22. 


52 


feet  also  shortly:  therefore,  Let  not  your 
hearts  be  troubled. 

Seventhly,  Desertion  ;  another,  (and  not 
the  least)  piece  of  heart-trouble  ;  this  may 
he  the  case  of  Christ's  disciples.  We  read 
of  the  saints  complaining  that  God  had  for- 
saken them  ;  and  when  he  hideth  his  face, 
they  cannot  but  be  troubled. 

Sometimes  God  doth  but  seem  to  hide  his 
face,  Isaiah  xlix.  14,  15.  When  God  takes 
their  earthly  comforts  from  them,  and  suf- 
fereth  sharp  and  bitter  afflictions  to  befall 
them  ;  and  though  they  cry  unto  him,  he  doth 
not  remove  them,  then  they  think  that  God 
hath  forsaken  them. 

Sometimes  God  doth  really  forsake  his 
people,  as  to  the  sense  of  his  favour,  Isaiah 
liv.  7,  8.  For  a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken 
thee.  In  a  little  wrath  I  hid  my  face  from 
thee  for  a  moment.  And  this  is  either  by 
withholding  comfort  from  them,  which  they 
cry  for,  or  by  withdrawing  that  comfortfrom 
them  which  they  had.  Compare  PsaU  li.  11, 
and  Ixxvii.  1,  2,  3,23..  Yet  here  God  sup- 
ported and  sustained  his  servant's  soul  with 
grace  :  many  times,  when  God's  people  have 
least  comfort,  they  have  most  grace,  most 
humility,  patience,  self-denial,  thirstings  af- 
ter God,  heavenly-mindedness,  &c*    God's 

*  Psal.  Ixxx.  3,  7,  19.     Ibid  Ixxxiii.  3. 


people  may  lose  the  sense  of  his  love,  but 
never  lose  his  love,  for  that  is  everlasting. 
But  to  lose  the  sense  of  his  love,  is  a  griev- 
ous trouble  to  a  gracious  soul,  that  hath  tast- 
ed and  felt  the  love  of  God  and  his  favour  ; 
for  their  great  happiness  is  to  have  the  favour 
of  God:  In  his  favour  is  life,  and  /lis  loving- 
kindness  is  better  than  life  :  this  is  the  joy 
of  their  lives  [Psal.  cxix  135,]  which  David 
so  earnestly  prayed  God  for.  Now  such  as 
found  this,  must  needs  be  troubled  when 
they  lose  it. 

Two  things  chiefly  cause  God  to  hide  his 
face  from  his  people. 

1.  When  their  hearts  are  too  much  set 
upon,  and  carried  out  after  earthly  comforts  ; 
■fleshly  delight,  and  confidence  in  earthly 
things,  provokes  God  to  hide  his  face  :  when 
a  man  smiles  so  much  on  the  world,  and 
gives  it  so  much  room  in  his  heart,  God 
frowns,  and  is  offended  that  the  gift  should 
be  so  much  loved,  and  the  giver  so  neglect- 
ed and  forgotten. 

2.  When  their  hearts  are  let  out  too  little 
after  God,  and  there  grows  a  strangeness  be- 
tween God  and  them,  and  they  begin  to  grow 
cold,  dull  and  dead  in  duty,  then  God  with- 
draws and  hides  himself,*  compared.     But 

•  Cant.  2,  3,  5,  6. 

e2 


54 


no  affliction  like  this  ;  this  disquieteth  and 
dejecteth  the  people  of  God  indeed.  And 
as  all  the  candles  in  the  world  cannot  make 
it  day  when  the  sun  is  set :  so  all  the  com- 
forts in  the  world  cannot  rejoice  such  a  soul,  • 
nor  can  there  be  any  day  in  such  a  soul,  un- 
til the  sun  of  righteousness  arise  there  with 
healing  in  his  wings.* 

So  much  for  this  third  particular,  shew- 
ing what  this  heart-trouble  is,  which  our 
Lord  here  forbids  his  disciples ;  namely, 
worldly  sorrow,  sinful  slavish  fear,  distract- 
ing care,  despondency,  dejectedness  of  spirit, 
distrust,  offence  at  persecution  for  Christ's 
sake,  Satan's  temptations,  and  spiritual  de- 
sertions ;  all  which  may  either  be  the  causes, 
or  the  parts  and  pieces  of  heart-trouble, 
which  must  be  avoided. 

The  fourth  particular  to  be  opened,  is  to 
shew,  that  believing  in  God  and  in  Christ,  is 
the  best  antidote  against  this  sinful  heart- 
trouble  :  Christ  proposeth  it  as  a  special 
remedy. 

Quest.  But  how  is  it  so  ? 

Anszv.  To  answer  this,  I  shall  endeavour 
to  shew  these  three  things. 

1.  What  this  believing  in  God  is  which 
our  Saviour  here  grants  that  they  had  ;  Ye 
believe  in  God. 

*Mal.iv.2c 


2.  What  it  is  to  believe  in  Christ  :  believe 
also  in  me. 

3.  How  that  this  faith  acted  on  God  and 
Christ,  is  the  best  remedy  to  prevent  and 
cure  heart  trouble,  in  all  those  several  parts 
of  it  I  have  mentioned. 

1.  What  this  faith  in  God  is  ?  Briefly,  the 
apostle  tell  us,  Heb.  xi.  6.  It  is  to  believe 
that  God  is,  that  there  is  a  God,  an  infinite, 
first,  and  best  being  ;  to  believe  that  God  is 
that  all  that,  which  he  hath  revealed  himself 
in  his  wgrd  to  be,  viz,  that  he  is  an  all-suffici- 
ent, almighty,  only  wise  God  ;  a  righteous, 
gracious,  merciful  God:  an  holy  God,  a  loving- 
God.  He  proclaims  his  name  himself,  Exod, 
xxxiv.  6,  7.  The  Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful 
and gracious,  long-suffering*,  and  abundant  in 
goodness  and  truth,  &c.  To  believe  that  he  is 
wonderful  in  counsel,  and  excellent  in  work- 
ing :*  that  he  is  die  Father  of  all  mercies,  the 
true  and  faithful  God,  the  God  of  all  grace, 
and  of  all  consolation  :f  with  many  more  ad- 
mirable attributes  of  God  doth  the  scripture 
furnish  us,  that  we  may  build  our  faith,  and 
place  our  trust  in  him,  to  prevent  heart- 
trouble,  and  to  cure  it  when  it  hath  seized  on 
us.  Whatsoever  is  revealed  of  God  in  his 
word,  that  true  faith  believes. 

*  Isa.  xxviii.  29.  f  1  John  iy.  16,     2  Cor,  I  3. 

Heb.  xii. 9.    James  i.  17. 


56 


Also,  this  faith  in  God,  is,  to  believe  that 
he  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  diligently  seek 
him. 

That  he  being  God  all-sufficient,  he  is  able 
to  support,  to  supply,  to  deliver  his  people 
out  of  all  their  troubles  ;  and  that  he  is  wil- 
ling so  to  do,  as  well  as  able,  for  he  hath 
promised:  and  he  is  a  rewarder,*  a  God 
that  will  abundantly,  plentifully  reward  all 
his  suffering  ones  :  Great  shall  be  their  re- 
ward in  heaven,  Matt.  v.  12.  And  to  be- 
lieve God  to  be  a  rewarder,  is  to  lay  hold  on 
his  covenant,  wherein  he  promiseth  so  to  be  : 
I  will  be  thy  God,  thy  shield  and  thy  exceeding 
great  reward,  Gen,  xv.  1.  The  sum  of  the 
covenant  is,  I  will  be  thy  God :  What  is 
that  but  this,  I  will  do  all  that  to  thee,  and 
for  thee.  I  will  be  a  sun  and  shield  to 
thee  ;]  I  will  give  thee  grace  and  glory,  and 
will  withhold  no  good  thing  from  thee.  I 
that  am  the  infinite,  first,  and  best  being  of 
all  things,  the  living  fountain  of  all  mercy, 
the  original  of  all  power  and  goodness  ;  I 
will  be  a  God  to  thee,  thy  God,  thy  Father,  if 
thou  wilt  take  me  for  thy  God,  and  place  all 
thy  happiness  in  me,  and  wilt  become  my 
servant,  and  give  up  thyself  sincerely  to  me, 

*  1  Cor.  xv.  58.    Rom.  ii.  6,  7,1%  t  2  Cor.  vi. 

17.    Paal.  Ixxxiv.  12. 


to  serve  and  od  y,  to  love,  fear,  and  trust 
me  only.  This  is  to  believe  in  God,  to  ac- 
cept of  God  for  our  God,  and  to  yield  up 
ourselves  to  him  to  be  his  people,  Isa*  lvi. 
46,  to  choose  the  things  that  please  him  : 
to  give  our  hearts  and  become  his  servants* 
as  Deut.  xxvi.  17,  18.  And  so  God  propo- 
sed himself  to  Abraham  when  he  called  him, 
Gen.  xii.  1,  2,  3,  as  a  rewarder  ;  and  more 
fully,  Gen.  xv.  1,  I  am  thu  shield,  and  thy 
exceeding  great  reward ;  and  so  Abraham's 
faith  was  to  act  on  God,  so  manifested  ;  and, 
Gen.  xvii.  1,7  am  God  all-sufficient ;  all-suffi- 
cient to  support  thee  in  thy  way  and  work,  and 
all-sufficient  to  reward  thee  in  the  end,  there- 
fore be  thou  upright  and  faithful  ;*  let  not  thy 
heart  be  troubled,  whatever  dangers  and  dif- 
ficulties thou  meetest  with  in  my  way  and 
work,  and  what  losses  soever  thou  sustainest 
for  my  sake,  believe,  Abraham,  lam  God  all- 
sufficient  ;  I  will  sufficiently  reward  thee,  thou 
shait  be  no  loser  by  following  and  serving  me. 
Also  Moses's  faith  had  an  eye  to  the  recom- 
pense of  reward,  Heb.  xi.  26.  And  that  you 
may  see  that  this  is  not  legal  and  mercenary, 
our  Lord  Jesus  proposeth  this  as  an  encou- 
ragement to  his  people,  Matt.  v.  12.  Great 
in  your  reward  in  heaven.     And  he  himseli 

♦  Prov.  xi.  18.     Psal.  Iviii.  U. 


58 


took  encouragement  from  it,  as  Heb.  xii.  1, 
2.    For  the  joy  that  was  set  before  hiniy  &c. 

So  that  this  is  to  believe  in  God,  to  be- 
lieve that  God  is  really  and  truly,  he  is  all 
that  which  he  revealed  himself  to  he,  and  to 
believe  that  he  is  a  rewarder,  &c,  This  faith 
in  God,  Christ  took  for  granted  that  his  dis- 
ciples had;  Te  believe  in  God:  Ye  believe 
that  God  is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of 
them  that  diligently  seek  him.  And  if  ye 
believe  this,  let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled  ; 
be  not  afraid  nor  dejected,  but  act  your  faith 
in  God,  and  seriously  consider  what  God 
that  is  in  whom  you  believe  ;  and  believing 
also  your  interest  in  that  God,  that  he  is 
your  God  ;  this  God  all-sufficient  is  your 
God,  you  will  have  no  cause  to  be  troubled  : 
Your  acting  of  faith  on  God,  your  God  : 
will  prevent  and  cure  your  heart-trouble,  and 
that  these  several  ways. 

First  more  generally. 

He  that  believes  in  God  as  his  God,  be^ 
lieves  God  is  always  present  with  him,  ac- 
cording to  his  promises.'^  In  the  worst  times 
God  is  present  with  his  people.  And  can 
there  be  any  cause  of  heart-trouble  to  such 
souls  as  have  always  the  presence  of  God  with 

*  Isa.  xji.  10.     Ibid  xliii.  2.    Heb.  xiii.  5. 


59 


them,  whose  presence  makes  Heaven,  and  in 
whose  presence  is  fulness  of  joy,  and  at 
tvhose  right  hand  are  pleasures  for  ever- 
mere  ?*  Surely,  beloved,  this  will  prevent 
heart-trouble,  when  a  soul  can  act  his  faith, 
and  firmly  believe  it.  God  is  always  pre- 
sent with  his  people,  and  that  for  gracious 
purposes, (and  not  as  a  bare  spectator ;)  to 
proportion  and  measure  out  their  afflictions 
to  them,  that  they  may  not  be  above  their 
strength,  nor  more  than  need.f  Ail  the  af- 
flictions of  God's  people  are  measured  by 
the  hand  of  a  most  wise,  most  merciful,  and 
gracious  God :  all  the  malice  of  men  and 
devils  cannot  add  a  drachm  to  the  weight, 
nor  a  drop  to  the  measure,  beyond  God's  ap- 
pointment. He  is  present  to  order  and  fix 
the  time  of  our  sufferings,.]:  it  is  an  hour  of 
temptation  :  it  is  our  loving  Father  that  sets 
up  the  glass  of  the  time  of  our  troubles:  he 
appoints  their  beginning,  their  duration,  their 
end  ;  he  holds  the  glass  in  his  own  hand. 
All  the  powers  on  earth  cannot  bring  trouble 
cm  us,  'till  the  hour  come,  'till  the  appointed 
time,  nor  continue  our  troubles  longer  than 
his  lime  :  The  rod  of  the  wicked  shall  not 
test   on   the  lot  :f   the  r<g-/iUius.§     God  is 

♦Psal.xvi.JI.  flCor.  x.  13.  JlPet.i.'6„ 

Ua   I xvii  o.         .  Psal.  exxv.  5. 


60 


present  to  mix  some  comforts*  with  the 
cross,  thereby  to  allay  the  bitterness  of  it ; 
present  to  support  the  soul  with  inward 
strength,  Psal.  cxxxviii.  3.  Thou  strength- 
enest  me  xvith  strength  in  my  soul:  Present 
to  sanctify  afflictions  for  good,  and  at  length, 
in  his  good  time,  which  is  the  best  time, 
when  he  hath  perfected  his  own  work  in  his 
people,  he  is  present  for  their  full  delive- 
rance. 

A  true  believer  in  God  hath  always  a  God 
to  go  unto.  O  what  a  comfort,  what  an  hap- 
piness is  that !  he  dwells  in  the  love  of  God, 
as  well  in  affliction,  as  out  of  it ;  he  may  be 
cast  out  of  his  happy  condition  in  the  world, 
but  never  out  of  the  favour  of  his  God  :  this, 
believed  by  us  will  cure  heart-sorrow,  heart- 
fear,  heart-care,  all  despondency,,  dejected- 
ness,  disquietments,  and  destractions  what- 
ever. Faith  acted  on  God,  the  almighty, 
all  sufficient  God,  and  our  God,  always 
present  with  us,  is  the  sovereign  antidote 
against,  and  the  best  cure  of  all  heart- trouble, 
Psal.  cxlii.  1,  2,  3,  4,  there  are  the  Psalm- 
isfs  troubles  ;  and  verse  5,  there  is  his  cure  ; 
/  cried  anto  thee,  0  Lord;  thou  art  my  re- 
fuge and  my  portion  in  the  land  of  the  living. 
So  PsaL  cxliii.  4,  6,  8,  his  spirits  was  over- 

•  Rev.  iir-.  10. 


61 


whelmed  with  trouble  ;  but  he  cried  to  God, 
and  trusted  in  him,  and  that  was  his  relief. 
His  trusting  in  God  was  an  high  exercise  oi 
his  faith.*  This  kept  David  from  sinking 
under  his  great  distress,  1  Sam.  xxx.  6.  Br 
encouraged  himself  in  the  Lord  his  God. 
Thus  in  general. 

More  particularly,  I  shall  endeavour  to 
shew  what  there  is  in  God  that  a  believer's 
faith  fetcheth  virtue  from  to  cure  his  heart- 
trouble  in  his  greatest  distress,  even  under 
the  loss  of  the  personal  presence  of  his  best 
and  dearest  friends  on  earth ;  for  such  was 
like  to  be  the  case  of  the  disciples  in  the 
text. 

First,  That  in  God  which  faith  looks  unto 
and  fetcheth  comfort  from,  is,  his  sweet  and 
gracious  nature.  God  is  love,  the  very  ele- 
ment of  love,  1  John  iv.  16,  and  his  gra- 
cious name,  which  discovers  his  nature, 
£xod.  xxxiv.  6.  The  Lord  gracious  and  mer- 
ciful. When  he  gives  to  his  people,  he  gives 
in  love  ;  when  he  takes  he  takes  in  love. 
Now  when  a  soul  believes  that  all  is  from 
love,  and  all  in  love,  he  is  supported.  When 
a  man  can  believe  that  all  his  troubles  come 
to  him  from  the  Father  of  mercies,  and  his 
father  in  Christ,  he  cannot  but   bear  them 

*  Pssfl,  xxv.  15,  16,  17.    Ibid  xxxi.  12,  13. 
F 


62 


patiently*  Ye  believe  in  God,  saith  Christ. 
Ye  beleive  that  God  loves  you,  therefore  let 
not  your  hearts  be  troubled. 

§>itest.  But  how  shall  I  know  that  God 
loves  me,  when  he  afflicts  me? 

I  anszver,  When  we.  can  discern  that  we 
have  received  any  spiritual  benefit  by  any  af- 
fliction, we  may  certainly  conclude,  that  the 
love  of  God  was  in  that  affliction.*^'  Fury  is 
not  in  God  towards  his  people,!  and  he  in- 
tends nothing  but  our  profit ;  all  his  designs 
are  for  our  good,  to  purge  away  our  sins,! 
to  wean  us  from  the  world,  to  draw  us  near- 
er to  himself,  to  humble  us,  to  try  us,  and  to 
conform  us  to  Christ,^  to  prepare  us  for 
glory,  &c.  Now  seeing  God's  designs  are 
so  mvti  h  for  our  good,  we  must  conclude, 
that  ail  our  afflictions  proceed  from  his  love ; 
and  when  we  find  any  of  those  designs  ac- 
complished in  us,  and  on  us,  and  that  we 
have  received  real  spiritual  good  by  them, 
we  ought  to  be  strengthened  in  our  belief, 
that  God  hath  corrected  us  in  love  ;  so  that 
faith  acted  on  the  love  of  God  in  our  afflic- 
tions, will  prevent  or  cure  our  heart-trouble. 
Our  Lord  told  his  disciples,  that  the  Father 
had  loved  them,  John  xvi.  27. 

*  Heb.  xii.  6,  10.         f  Isaiah  xxvi.  4.    Deut,  viii.  2. 
J  Job  xxiii-  10-  J  2  Cor.  iv.  17. 


&o 


Secondly,  Faith  acted  upon  God's  glori- 
ous attributes,  will  fortify  against  heart- 
trouble. 

First,  Upon  his  all-sufficiency.  Ye  be- 
lieve that  God  is  all-sufficient,*  in  and  of 
himself  alone  ;  every  way  able  to  supply  all 
wants,  to  make  up,  and  repair  all  losses,  to 
satisfy  all  desires,  to  sustain  under  all  bur- 
thens, and  that  without  all  earthly  comforts  : 
for,  how  else  are  the  saints  in  heaven  happy, 
who  have  none  of  these  earthly  enjoyments? 
Ye  believe  this,  act  your  faith  on  it :  he  must 
needs  be  all-sufficient  who  made  the  world, 
and  all  things  in  it,  and  upholds  it  to  this 
day  :  he  that  owns  all  things,  and  is  posses- 
sor of  heaven  and  earth,  he  it  is,  that  is  your 
God,  your  Father ;  act  your  faith  on  him, 
and  be  comforted. 

Secondly,  He  is  almighty  ;  you  believe 
this.  So  Christ  hath  told  his  disciples,  All 
things  are  possible  to  God.  He  can  break 
the  hardest  heart,  and  can  bind  up  the  most 
broken  spirit :  he  can  make  up  the  great- 
est loss.  We  are  kept  by  the  mighty  power 
of  God.\  Oh  !  how  safe  is  that  man,  that  is 
in  the  love  and  covenant,  and  that  lies  in  the 
arms  and  bosom  of  the  Almighty  God4  He 

*  Gen.  xvii.  1.  f  1  Pet.  i.  5.  \  Deut.  xxxiii.  37. 
Job  ix.  12. 


64 

can  bring  light  out  of  darkness,  and  make 
the  greatest  loss  to  prove  the  greatest  gain.* 
He  hath  the  keys  of  the  grave.  To  him  be- 
long the  issues  from  death,]  All  power  be- 
longeth  to  him  ;  nothing  is  too  hard  for  him. 

Thirdly,  His  absolute  sovereignty  and 
supremacy  :  all  souls  are  his,  Ezek.  xviii.  4. 
He  gives,  he  takes,  who  can  hinder  him  P 
May  he  not  do  with  his  own  what  pleaseth 
him  .?  Ye  believe  this.  Hath  he  not  a  right 
in  all  the  works  of  his  hands  ?  May  he  not 
dispose  of  all  as  he  will  ? 

Fourthly,  His  unchangeableness.  God  is 
in  one  ?7iind,\  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  stand 
to  all  generations.  He  sets  bounds  to  the 
sea,  to  the  life  of  man,  and  to  all  the  comforts 
of  life  ;  the  number  of  his  months  is  with 
God.§     Believe  this. 

Fifthly,  His  wisdom.  God  is  only  wisey 
the  fountain  of  wisdom.  He  doeth  all  he  do- 
eth  in  infinite  wisdom.  He  is  wise  in  heart, 
and  worketh  all  things  according  to  the 
counsel  of  his  will.  He  knows  what  is  best 
for  us  ;  when  to  give,  when  to  take,  and  what 
will  do  us  most  good.  Believe  this,  and  let 
not  your  hearts  be  troubled. 

*  Matt.  xix.  26.        f  Gen.  xviii.  14.        J  Job  xiv.  5. 
§  Ibid  xxiii.  13.  14. 


<JO 


Sixthly,  His  righteousness.  All  his  way:; 
are  just  and  equal:  yea,  when  clouds  and 
darkness  are  round  about  him,  (his  provi- 
dences towards  us  dark)  yet  then  righteous- 
ness and  judgment  arc  the  habitation  of  his 
throne,  God,  the  Judge  of  the  world,  can 
do  no  wrong  :  believe  this  of  God,  and  it 
will  quiet  your  minds. 

Lastly,  His  faithfulness.  In  vewy  faith- 
fulness thou  h&st  afflicted  me,  saith  holy  Da- 
vid, PsaL  cxix.  75.  He  hath  promised,  he 
will  withhold  no  good  thing  from  his  peo- 
ple t*  Now  he  sets  and  knows  that  afflic- 
tions are  good  for  them,  good  for  their  souls; 
his  daily  rod  is  good  for  their  souls,  as  his 
daily  bread  is  good  for  their  bodies.  There- 
fore he  brings  afflictions  on  them,  and  so 
makes  good  his  promise  to  them.  O  !  be- 
lieve this,  and  let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled. 
Certainly,  faith  acted  on  God's  attributes  will 
support  under  the  greatest  strokes,  and  most 
grievous  losses. 

Thirdly,  Faith  acted  on  the  covenant  of 
grace.  God's  everlasting  covenant  will  help 
to  support  under  trouble.  Te  believe  in  God: 
that  God  hath  made  a  covenant  with  you,  to 
become  your  God,  jer.  xxxi.  33.  J  will  be 
■  God,  and  ye  shall  be  my  people.     Tl 

•  Psai.lxxxiv.il. 

TT    2 


66 


infinitely  more,  for  God  to  become  our  God, 
to  give  himself  to  us,  than  if  he  had  said,  I 
will  give  you  crowns  and  kingdoms,  sons  and 
daughters:  when  God  saith,  I  will  be  your 
God,  he  saith,  I  will  be  all  that  to  you,  and  I 
will  do  all  that  for  you,  and  bestow  all  that  up- 
on you,  which  a  God  can  be,  or  do,  and  which 
shall  make  you  most  happy  for  ever.  I  will 
give  you  new  hearts,  give  you  my  spirit ;  I 
will  give  you  grace  here,  and  glory  hereafter. 
This  acting  of  faith  in  God's  covenant,  sup- 
ported David  in  his  greatest  troubles ;  2  Sam. 
xxiii.  5,  a  notable  text :  when  the  Lord  had 
made  breach  upon  breach  in  his  family,  this 
comforted  him,  that  God  had  made  with  him 
an  everlasting:  covenant.  That  he  was  in 
covenant  with  God  ;  that  God  was  his  God 
in  covenant ;  this  balanced  all  his  losses, 
and  repaired  all  the  breaches  made  in  his 
relations  :  though  his  family  was  wasted  and 
blasted,  this  answered  all,  that  he  was  in  cov~ 
enant  with  God. 

This  is  the  language  of  faith  :  if  God  be 
my  God,  if  I  be  his  child,  born  of  him,  re- 
conciled to  him,  pardoned,  justified,  Sanctis 
fied,  in  covenant  with  him,  why  am  I  trou- 
bled, though  he  give  me  neither  health,  nor 
wealth,  nor  friends,  nor  relations  ?  Have  I 
not  enough,  in  having  God  to  be  my  God  ? 
Is  not  God  more  than  all  I  But  if  God  be. 


6/ 


not  my  God,  I  have  cause  enough  to  be  trou- 
bled then,  considering  the  danger  I  am  in  ; 
and  my  trouble  for  this,  should  swallow  up 
all  other  trouble.  For  surely,  either  God  is 
mine  in  covenant,  or  he  is  not :  if  he  be  mine 
in  covenant,  then,  though  he  break  my  fami- 
ly, make  breaches  upon  all  my  earthly  com- 
forts, yet  he  will  not  break  his  covenant, 
Psalm  lxxxix.  32,  and  so  long  I  am  well 
enough.  If  he  leave  me  neither  son  nor 
daughter,  if  he  strip  me  of  friends,  estate, 
liberty,  health,  &c.  yet  he  remains  my  God 
still ;  and  so  long  it  is  well  enough  :  it  can- 
not be  ill  with  a  man  so  long  as  God  is  his  2 
ve  believe  this. 

Fourthly,  Faith  acted  upon  the  word  of 
God,  will  support  the  soul :  ye  believe  God's 
word,  the  word  of  truth,  Psalm  cxix.  50. 
This  is  my  comfort  in  my  affliction,  thy  word 
hath  quickened  ?ne.  So  verse  92.  Had  not 
thy  law  been  my  delight,  I  had  perished  in  my 
affliction. 

First,  Consider  the  word  of  precept :  as, 
in  the  text,  it  is  Christ's  command,  Let  not 
your  hearts  be  troubled;  many  such  com- 
mands we  have  in  Scripture,  as,  Not  to  fear , 
nor  be  cast  dozvn :  sorrow  not  as  those  who 
Lave  no  hope;*  and  such-like:  now,  faith 


•  1  Thess.  iv.  13, 14, 


68 


applies  such  commands  to  the  soul ;  I  must 
not  be  troubled  in  my  heart,  God  forbids  it. , 
Why,  must  we  not  profane  the  sabbath,  nor 
swear,  nor  lie,  &c.  but  because  God  hath  for- 
bidden these  evils  ?  So  here,  God  hath  for- 
bidden us  to  be  troubled,  and  hath  com- 
manded us  to  be  quiet,  patient,  contented, 
submissive  to  his  will  in  all  his  dealings  ; 
thus  we  should  urge  God's  command  on 
our  souls:  yea,  we  are  commanded  to  be 
so  far  from  troubling  ourselves,  when  afflic- 
tions befall  us,  as  that  we  must  count  it  all  joy 
•when  rue  fall  into  divers  temptations  ,*#  and 
to  rejoice  in  sufferings  ;  for,  Blessed  is  the 
man  that  endureth  temptation,  James  1.  12. 

Secondly,  Consider  the  word  of  promise  : 
many  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises 
are  in  the  word  of  God,  which  are  as  a  full 
feast  for  faith  to  feed  upon.  God  promis- 
eth  to  be  our  God  ;  to  be  with  us  in  the  fire, 
and  in  the  water  ;  to  support  and  sustain  us  ;f 
to  lay  no  more  upon  us,  than  he  will  enable 
us  to  bear  :].  That  ail  thing's  shall  xvork  toge- 
ther for  our  good,  Rom.  viii.  28,  and  what 
can  we  desire  more  ?  There  is  no  trouble 
that  can  befall  us,  but  we  may  find  a  promise 
suitable  to  it :  and  faithful  is  he  that  hath 

*  I  Pet.  iv.  13.  t  Isa.  xli.10.  xliii.  2.  i  1  Cor. 
x.  13. 


69 


promised,  who  also  will  do  it**  And  why 
hath  the  great  God  so  wonderfully  conde- 
scended to  poor  creatures,  as  to  make  so 
many  sweet  promises,  which  are  recorded  in 
the  holy  Scriptures,  but  for  this  ;  that  the 
heirs  of  promise  might  have  strong  consola- 
tion ;f  and  that  their  hearts  might  not  be 
troubled  ? 

Thirdly,  The  word  of  threatning,  Matt* 
x.  37.  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother,  son 
or  daughter,  (so  husband  or  wife)  more  than 
me,  is  not  worthy  of  me,  saith  Christ.  Now, 
by  our  immoderate  sorrow  for  the  loss  of 
these,  we  manifest  our  immoderate  love  of 
these:  we  should  consider,  that  when  these 
are  removed,  that  Christ  remains  ours  still, 
and  with  us  still :  our  relation  to  him  is  not 
broken;  and  Christ  will  be  instead  of  all, 
and  better  than  all  to  us  ;  and  this  should 
keep  us  from  heart  trouble. 

Fourthly,  The  examples  of  God's  saints  in 
the  world.  We  should  consider  also,  what 
a  famous  example  is  Abraham,  who  was 
content  to  part  with  his  Isaac  at  the  com- 
mand of  God ;  his  only  son,  the  son  of  his 
old  age,  the  son  of  the  promise,  in  whom  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  were  to  be  blessed  ; 
yea,  content  to  lay  his  own  hands  upon  him., 

*  1  Thess.  v.  2S.  f  Heb.  vi.  17, 


70 


to  slay  him,  and  burn  him  :  but  when  he 
was  tried,  God  spared  him.*  The  way  to 
ket  p  our  earthly  comforts,  is  to  be  willing  to 
part  with  them,  when  God  calls  for  them. 
So  Eli,  when  very  sad  tidings  were  told1 
him  ;  It  is  the  Lord,,  said  he  let  him  do  xvhat 
seemeth  him  good,\  So  Aaron,  when  that 
heavy  stroke  fell  upon  him,  that  both  his 
sons  were  struck  dead  upon  the  place  for 
their  sin,  and  it  may  be  in  their  sin  too,  it  is 
said  Aaron  held  his  peace  *\  So  Job,  strip- 
ped of  all  his  friends  at  once,  the  breath  of 
his  -wife  was  strange  -to  him*  And  David 
complained,  that  lover  and  friend  was  put 
far  from  him.  Now,  we  should  consider 
these  examples  and  set  faith  a  work  on  them, 
and  know,  that  it  is  our  duty  to  be  followers 
of  them,  who  through  faith  and  patience  in- 
herit the  promises,  Heb.  yi.  12. 

Fifthly,  The  word  of  experience.  David 
tells  us  his  experience,  and  faith,  It  was  good 
for  him  that  he  had  been  afflicted*  And 
many  Christians  living,  can  and  do  bless  God 
for  their  affliction;  and  that  God,  by  taking 
away  of  their  relations  from  them,  he  made 
more  room  in  their  hearts  for  himself,  and 
commuricated  more  of  himself  to  their 
souls  :  thus  by  acting  of  faith  upon  the  word 

*  Gen.  xxii.  2, 12.      f  1  Sam.  iii.  18.    \  Levit.  x.  3. 


71 

>f  God,  we  may  gain  support,  and  be  pre- 
served from  he  art- trouble. 

Sixthly,  Faith  acted  upon  the  work  of 
^od,  will  support  under  heart-trouble,  Ec- 
:les.  vii.  13.  Consider  the  work  of  God. 
Faith  looks  to  the  work  of  God  ;  who  it  is 
:hat  killeth  ;  who  it  is  that  taketh  away  : 
who  can  stop,  or  mend,  or  hinder  his  work  ? 
This  quieted  David's  heart,  wh-n  the 
stroke  of  God  was  heavy  upon  hi.n ;  /  open- 
id  not  my  mouth  because  thou  didst  it.*  It 
is  the  Lord,  he  hath  done  it.  It  is  he  that 
doth  whatsoever  he  pleaseth. 

Seventhly,  Faith  acted  on  the  will  of  God. 
iFaith  resigns  up  all  to  the  good  and  holy 
will  of  God:  so  did  our  Lord  himself;  Not 
my  will  but  thine  be  done;\  and  so  we  pray 
continually,  thy  will  be  done  ;\  and  therefore 
when  it  is  done,  our  hearts  must  not  be  trou- 
bled. 

Lastly,  Faith  acted  on  the  gracious  ends 
and  designs  of  God  in  afflicting  us,  and  re- 
moving our  earthly  comforts  from  us,  will 
prevent  heart  trouble.  God  hath  holy  and 
good  ends,  which  faith  looks  unto:  God 
aims  at  our  profit,  as  Heb.  xii.  10.  Such 
ends  as  these  : 

*  Psal.  xxxix.  9.    2  Sam.  xii.  23.     t  L*ke  xxii.  42. 

1  Man.  vi.  10. 


72 


1.  God's  end  is  to  discover  and  purge 
away  our  sins,  Isa.  xxvii.  9.  By  this  shall 
the  iniquity  of  Jacob  be  purged;  this  is  all  the 

fruit  to  take  away  his  sin. 

2.  To  try  and  exercise  our  graces,  Job. 
xxiii.  10.     1  Pet.  i.  6,  7.     Rev.  ii.  10. 

3.  To  crucify  our  hearts  unto,  and  to 
estrange  our  affections  from  the  things  of 
this  world.* 

4.  To  draw  our  hearts  nearer  to  himself ; 
therefore  many  times  God  takes  away  our 
earthly  comforts  from  us,  because  they  had 
too  much  of  our  hearts ;  and  because  they 
lay  between  God  and  our  hearts,  and  kept 
us  at  a  distance  from  him. 

5.  To  bestow  greater,  and  better  mercies 
upon  us.  God  never  takes  away  any  darling 
comfort  from  his  people,  but  his  design  is,  to 
give  them  a  better  in  the  room  of  it ;  as  in 
the  text,  Christ  leaves  his  disciples,  in  regard 
of  his  bodily  presence,  because  he  would 
send  the  Comforter  to  them,  which  should 
abide  with  them  forever,  John  xiv.  16. 

6.  To  make  them  partakers  of  his  holiness. 
Heb.  xii.  10. 

7.  To  fit  and  prepare  them  for  that  far 
more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory, 
2  Cor.  iv.  17.     These  are   God's   holy  and 

*  Gal.  ii.  20, 


73 


good  ends  in  afflicting  his  people,  unto  which 
faith  looks,  and  so  supports  the  heart. 

Thus  you  see,  how  faith  acted  on  God  in 
these  particulars,  will  prevent  or  cure  all  our 
heart-troubles  :  faith  acted  on  the  sweet  and 
gracious  nature  of  God  ;  he  is  love,  all  love  ; 
on  his  glorious  attributes,  his  all-sufficiency, 
his  omnipotency,  his  absolute  sovereignty, 
his  unchangeableness,  his  wisdom,  his  right- 
eousness, his  faithfulness;  faith  acted  on 
God's  gracious  everlasting  covenant,  on  the 
word  of  God,  on  the  word  of  precept,  of 
promise,  of  threatening,  of  example,  of  expe- 
rience ;  and  faith  acted  on  the  work  of  God, 
on  the  will  of  God,  and  on  his  holy  ends  in, 
all  his  chastisements.  I  say,  faith  acted  on 
God  will  exceedingly  support  under  all  trou- 
ble. Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled ;  ye  be- 
lieve in  God.  So  much  for  this  first  particu- 
lar: And  before  I  enter  upon  the  second,  I 
shall  make  some  short  application  of  this. 

APPLICATION. 

First ,  It  follows  hence,  that  heart-trouble 
under  the  afflicting  hand  of  God,  argues  the 
weakness,  if  not  the  want  of  faith.  All  those 
sorts  of  heart-trouble,  and  the  parts  of  it 
which  I  have  mentioned,  as  heart  sorrow, 
worldly  sorrow,  immoderate  mourning, sinful 
fear,  vexatious  care,   despondency  of  spirit-. 


74 


being  offended,  disturbance  of  mind,  distrac- 
tion, dejection,  discouragement,  and  the  like  ; 
all  these  flow  from  the  want  of  faith,  or  at 
least,  from  the  weakness  of  faith  in  God.  We 
do  not  believe  in  God :  we  see  the  causes  of 
our  troubles  ;  they  are  mostly  in  ourselves, 
even  our  unbelief.  Whatever  we  profess,  we 
do  not  believe  in  God:  if  we  could  but  believe 
in  God,  our  hearts  would  not  be  troubled.  O ! 
our  want  of  faith;  let  us  heartly  lament  it,  and 
cry  to  God  for  pardon  through  the  blood  of 
Christ.  If  our  hearts  be  troubled,  where  is 
our  faith  in  God?  What  doth  God,  and  all 
that  is  in  God,  signify  to  us  ?  What  are  we 
the  better  for  all  that  Infinite  all  sufficiency 
and  goodness,  that  is  in  God,  if  we  do  not  act 
faith  upon  it  ?  Our  heart-troubles  would  be 
cured,  could  we  act  faith  on  God  as  we 
ought  to  do. 

Immoderate  sorrow  then  is  very  unbecom- 
ing believers  in  God.  If  we  will  prove  our- 
selves believers  in  God,  let  us  discharge  our- 
selves from  heart-trouble  and  let  us  draw 
our  consolation  from  our  hearts  by  faith, 
from  all  those  comfortable  considerations  of 
God,  and  from  all  those  abundant  excellencies 
that  are  in  God :  O  let  us  labour  for  faith, 
and  act  it ;  let  us  live  in  the  exercise  of  it? 
and  then  surely  we  shall  find  comfort. 


75 


Secondly,  Let  us  all  labour  to  get  an  interest 
in  God  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,*  that  so  we 
may  be  able  to  look  upon  God  as  our  God ; 
and  then  we  may  claim  an  interest  in  all  that 
God  is,  and  all  that  God  hath,f  and  so  shall 
we  have  no  cause  of  heart-trouble  in  any 
condition.  For  if  God  be  ours,  all  his  attri- 
butes are  ours,  his  gracious  covenant  is  ours, 
his  word  and  promises  are  ours4  All  is 
ours;  therefore  should  we  labour  in  this 
above  all  things,  spending  all  our  thoughts, 
affections  and  spirits  upon  this.  O  let  us  lay 
hold  on  God  and  his  covenant ;  let  us  choose 
him  for  our  portion,  and  resign  up  ourselves 
unfeignedly  to  him,  terminating  and  centring 
all  our  desires,  hope,  love,  delight  in  him 
alone,  placing  all  our  happiness  in  him,  and 
then  commit  all  to  him.  Whom  have  I  in 
heaven  but  thee  P  and  there  is  none  upon 
earth  that  I  desire  besides  thee,  -fW.lxxiii.  23. 
The  second  question. 

Secondly,  What  is  it  to  believe  in  Christ  ? 
For  saith  he  in  the  text,  Believe  also  in  me  : 
it  is  God  in  Christ  that  we  must  believe  in  ; 
not  in  God  without  Christ,  not  in  God  out 
Christ,  but  believe  in  God  in  Christ. 

Now,  what  this  believing  in  Christ  is,  I 
shall  endeavour  to  shew  ;  looking  up  to  the 

•  Gal.  ill.  26.     f  1  Sam.  xxx.  6.    J  Psal.  xxxi.  1*. 


7£ 

Father  of,  and  to  the  Author  and  Finisher  of 
our  faith,  for  light  and  assistance. 

In  general:  it  is  to  believe  all  that  which 
is  revealed  in  the  holy  Scriptures  concerning 
Christ ;  to  believe  the  record  that  God  hath 
given  of  him  in  his  word,  as  1  John  v.  10, 
11,  12,  13.  To  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  eternal  Son  of  God ;  that  he  came  out 
from  the  Father ;  was  made  flesh  ;*  was 
born  of  a  virgin  ;  lived  on  earth  in  the  form 
of  a  servant,!  a  poor  despicable  life  ;  preach- 
ed the  gospel,  working  miracles,  &c.  that  he 
suffered  upon  the  cross,!  w*tn  a^  tne  sms  °f 
his  people  upon  his  soul  and  body  ;  that  he 
bore  the  curse  of  the  law,  the  wrath  of  God, 
which  was  due  to  man  for  sin  ;§  that  he  died 
a  most  painful,  shameful,  and  cruel  death, 
dying  as  a  sacrifice,  to  satisfy  God's  justice, 
to  atone  and  pacify  his  wrath,  to  make  our 
peace,  and  to  reconcile  us  to  God  :**  that  he 
rose  again  from  the  dead,  ascended  into  hea- 
ven, to  prepare  a  place  there  for  his  people  ; 
that  he  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God  ever- 
lasting, to  make  continual  intercession  for 
us  ;ff  and  that  he  shall  come  to  judge  the 
world  at  the  last  day  :  and  while  he  is  absent 
from  us  in  person  here  on  earth,  he  promis- 

*  John  i.  18.  f  Heb   ii.  14  JlPet.ii.21. 

%  Isa.  liii.       **  Col.  i  21,  22,  23.        ft  Acts  i.    Johi} 
xiv.  2,  3.    Phil.  ii.  7,  8.     Heb.  vii.  25. 


77 


ed  to  send  his  spirit,  the  Comforter,  into  the 
world,  to  convince  and  convert  all  those 
which  his  Father  hath  given  him  ;  to  call 
them  by  his  word,  to  quicken,  strengthen, 
stablish,  comfort  and  confirm  them  until  he 
come  again,  to  take  them  to  himself,  that 
where  lie  is,  there  they  may  be  also.*  This 
is  the  record  that  God  hath  given  of  his  Son  ; 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him,  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting'  life.]  Now,  to 
believe  in  Christ,  is  to  believe  all  this  testi- 
mony of  him.  And  also  out  of  a  deep  sense 
of  our  sin  and  misery,  and  sight  of  Christ's 
infinite  excellency,  all-sufficiency,  and  wil- 
lingness to  save  sinners  ;  and  upon  his  call 
to  us  in  the  gospel,  to  come  unto  him  weary 
and  heavy  laden  with  our  sins,\  heartily  wil- 
ling to  accept  of  the  Lord  Jesus  upon  his 
own  terms  ;  to  take  him  for  our  only  Lord  ; 
to  give  up  our  whole  selves,  souls  and  bodies, 
to  his  blessed  government  by  his  word  and 
spirit  in  all  things  j  and  unfc ignedly  and  un- 
reservedly to  enter  into  covenant  with  him, 
to  become  his,  and  his  alone,  and  his  for 
ever  ;  and  to  rely  upon  him  for  life,  for  grace 
and  salvation  ;  this  is  to  believe  in  Christ.^ 
Thus   believe  in    Christ,  and  let   not  your 

*  John  xvi.  1,  2.     Ibid  xiv.  a.  flbid  iii.  16,  35. 

JJohnvi.  37.     Matt.  xi.  29.         $  John  i.  12.    Cci.  iU 
6.     Cant,  iv.  16.     Tsal.  ii.  12. 
G2 


78 


hearts  be  troubled.  The  acting  of  this  faith  i 
on  the  blessed  J^sus,  is  a  singular  means  to  | 
prevent  and  cure  all  heart-trouble,  all  heart- 
sorrows,  cares,  fears,  vexations,  desponden- 
cies, dejections  and  distractions  whatsoever, 
that  may  arise  in  our  hearts,  by  reason  of  any 
loss,  cross,  disappointment,  distress  or  afflic- 
tion that  may  befall  us.  If  we  can  but  thus 
believe  in  Christ,  and  rest  and  rely  upon 
him,  and  trust  in  him,  our  hearts  shall  not 
be  troubled. 

§>uest.  But  what  is  that  in  Christ  which 
faith  must  act  upon,  to  effect  this  cure  of 
heart-trouble  when  afflictions  come  upon  us  ? 
Answ.  Such-like  things  (as  I  shewed  be- 
fore) as  are  in  God  for  faith  to  act  upon, 
which  are  these  that  follow  : 

First,  Faith  must  be  acted  upon  the  loving, 
gracious,  sweet  nature  of  Jesus  Christ.  Our 
Lord  Jesus  is  of  a  most  loving  and  sweet 
nature  ;  he  is  love  indeed  ;  the  Son  of  his 
Father's  love,  and  altogether  lovely.*  His 
thoughts  of  us  who  believe  in  him,  were 
thoughts  of  love  from  everlasting. f  All  his 
words  are  sweet,  his  mouth  is  most  sweet. 
O  what  sweet  language  doth  he  give  his 
church  !  My  dove,  my  love,  my  fair  one,  my 
sister ,  my  spouse,  &c.   He  loved  us,  and  gave 

•  Cant,  v,  1C>,  {  Jcr.  xxxi.  3, 


himself  for  us  :*  loved  us,  and  washed  us  in 

his  blood.]  He  is  one  of  our  nature,  our 
kinsman,  our  husband,  our  Father, our  elder 
brother,  &c.  So  that,  if  there  be  any  love  in 
the  head  to  the  members,  if  any  in  the  father 
to  the  child,  if  any  in  the  husband  to  the 
wife,  or  in  any  near  and  dear  relation,  then 
sure  there  is  love,  strong  love  in  Jesus 
Christ  to  all  believers  ;  for  in  him  is  the  love 
of  all  relations,  and  therefore  he  txpresseth 
it  under  all  these  relations.  He  calls  us  his 
friends  :\  he  is  of  a  most  merciful  nature, 
full  of  bowels  of  compassion,  and  offender 
mercies. §  It  would  be  endless  to  express 
the  loving  nature  of  Jesus  Christ  to  poor  be- 
lievers ;  which,  when  a  believer  duly  co 
ders  and  ponders  upon,  it  cannot  but  sup- 
port him  under  all  heart-trouble. 

Act  your  faith  on  Christ  as  yours,**  your 
Jesus,  he  that  died  for  you,  he  that  sweat- 
ed great  drops  of  blood  for  you  in  the  gar- 
den, wrestling  and  grapbng  with  his  Fa- 
ther's wrath  for  you,  in  your  name  and 
stead,  there,  and  upon  the  cross. |f  Con- 
sider, that  this  your  dearest  Jesus,  now  in 
glory,  knows  your  souls  in  adversity  :}; 
he  seeth  all  the  troubles  of  your  hearts  ;  he 

•GaLii.  20.         fRev.i.6.         J  Ibid.         I  Luke 

:-.ii.  4.  **  John  xv.  ft  Gal.  ii.  20.     Luke  xxui 

it  Fid.  xxv.  16.     Isa.  Ixiii.  9. 


80 


sympathized  with  you  in  all  your  afflic- 
tions ;  his  heart  now  in  heaven,  is  touched 
ivilh  the  feeling  of  your  infirmities  on  earth, 
Heb.  iv.  He  hath  human  nature  still,  though 
glorified.  He  feels  our  losses,  crosses,  pains, 
sorrows  ;  his  heart,  his  most  tender  heart  is 
affected  ;  O  that  we  could  but  believe  this  ! 
and  thus  consider  with  ourselves  :  here  I  sit 
solitary  as  a  widow,  or  widower,  or  child- 
less, or  fatherless,  or  friendless  ;  my  family 
is  broken,  I  feel  pains  and  sicknesses  ;  I  am 
deprived  of  my  liberty  ;  my  sweet  relations 
and  comfortable  friends  are  laid  in  the  dust ; 
I  have  none  about  me  to  counsel  or  comfort 
me  ;  I  am  brought  low  in  the  world,  my  es- 
tate is  diminished,  my  honour  and  reputa- 
tion lost,  my  pleasure  gone,  my  flesh  fail- 
eth  me,  my  strength  faileth,  lovers  and 
friends  fail  me,  &c.  Such  complaints  we  are 
apt  enough  to  make,  and  it  may  be,  worse 
than  these  :  my  God  hath  forsaken  me,  he 
hides  his  face  from  me  ;  I  am  compassed 
about  with  temptations,  sad,  dejecting,  and 
distracting  thoughts  ;  I  am  persecuted,  ban- 
ished from  house  and  home,  all  my  outward 
and  inward  comforts  fail  me.  These  have 
been  the  cases  and  conditions  of  God's  dear- 
est servants,  as  Job,  David,  &c.  But  yet  let 
not  your  hearts  be  troubled  for  all  this  ;  Te 
believe  in  God ;  act  your  faith  on  God,  yea^ 


81 


and  act  it  on  Christ  also  :  believe  in  Jesus, 
look  up  by  faith  unto  Jesus,  your  dear  Lord; 
whatsoever,  whomsoever  you  have  lost,  you 
have  not  lost  your  Jesus,  your  best  friend, 
your  heavenly  husband  ;  you  have  his  heart, 
his  bowels  towards  you  ^till  ;*  you  have  his 
eye,  his  tender  watchful  provident  eye  upon 
you  still  ;  you  have  his  ear  open  to  your 
cries  still ;  yea,  you  have  his  everlasting- 
arms  underneath  you,  to  sustain  you  still,f 
or  else  you  would  sink.  Oh  then,  act  your 
faith  upon  the  sweet  nature  of  Christ,  as 
your  head  and  husband.  Can  a  mother  for- 
get her  sacking  child,  that  she  should  not  have 
co?n/?assion  on  the  son  of  her  womb  P  Possibly 
she  may :  but  can  Jesus  forget  those  whom 
he  died  for,  and  travailed  for  ?  No,  no,  he 
will  not  hide  his  face  for  ever  ;  he  will  never 
forget  his  people.  Tonr  Maker  is  your  hus- 
band;  and  he  is  the  Father  of  mercies. 

If  we  read  these  things,  or  hear  them  read, 
and  do  not  apply  them  to  our  own  souls  by 
faith  ;  if  we  do  not  meditate  on  them,  and 
let  them  sink  down  into  our  hearts  ;  if  we  do 
not  pray  earnestly  that  the  holy  spirit  would 
bring  them  home,  and  lay  them  close  to,  and 
fix  them  upon  our  hearts,  they  will  do  us 
no  good,  yield  us  no  comfort ;  therefore  me- 

*  Job  vii  17.    Psal.  xxxiv.  15.        t  Isa.  xl.  H. 


82 


ditate  on  them,  apply  them,  and  act  faith  up- 
on them. 

Secondly,  We  must  act  faith  upon  the  ma- 
ny precious  attributes  of  Jesus  Christ ;  all 
which  will  afford  to  faith  much  matter  of 
support  under  all  our  heart  troubles  what- 
ever. And  these  are  exceeding  many  ;  I 
shall  mention  only  some. 

First,  Jesus  Christ  \*s  our  advocate  with 
the  Father,  1  John  ii.  1,  2.  One  that  under- 
taketh  for  us  to  plead  our  cause  in  that  high- 
est court  of  heaven :  If  a  man  be  sued  in 
law,  or  be  accused  of  .any  crime  in  any  court, 
it  is  a  great  privilege  to  have  a  solicitor  there 
for  him,  that  is  skilful  and  faithful,  and  pow- 
erful with  the  judge  in  that  court :  Jesus 
Christ  is  such  an  Advocate  or  Solicitor,  for 
us  in  heaven  ;*  he  will  plead  our  cause,  and 
he  is  wise  ;  he  is  the  wisdom  of  the  Father  yf 
he  is  a  great  counsellor,  and  the  only  coun- 
sellor ;  none  else  can  plead  in  that  high  court; 
and  he  is  most  faithful,  he  is  a  merciful  and 
faithful  high-priest  in  all  things  pertaining 
to  God.\  He  appears  for  us  in  heaven,  Heb* 
i'x.  24.  When  a  man  is  indicted  in  a  court, 
and  hath  none  to  appear  for  him  there,  he  is 
in  a  bad  case  :  but  all  poor  believers  are  in 

*  Heb.  vii.  25.  f  Prov.  xxiii.  11.     1  Cor.  i.  14. 

Isa.  vi.  9.        \  Heb.  ii.  17, 


83 


a  better  case  ;  they  have  a  blessed  advocate 
to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God  for  them  : 
he  continually  presents  his  blood,  his  sacri- 
fice to  the  Father  for  them  ;  and  it  is  his  will, 
to  have  that  sacrifice  accepted  for  our  justi- 
fication and  sanctification.*  Christ  prevails 
so  with  his  Father,  that  he  always  heareth 
him,  John  xi.  40.  Now,  if  we  can  act  faith 
on  this  blessed  advocate  in  heaven,  who  is 
there  always  pleading  for  us,  ever  living  to 
make  intercession  for  us,f  presenting  himself 
before  God  as  our  sacrifice  and  propitiation  ; 
when  men  accuse  us,  and  our  own  consci- 
ences, when  we  are  deprived  of  our  near 
and  dear  relations,  distressed  with  pains  and 
sicknesses,  pinched  with  wants  and  necessi- 
ties ;  I  say,  then  for  us  to  act  our  faith  on 
this  precious  Advocate  at  the  right  hand  of 
God  for  us,  interceding  there  for  us,  one 
who  knows  and  feels  all  our  misery,  it  must 
needs  be  a  great  support  and  relief  to  us,  and 
the  best  remedy  against  our  heart-trouble  : 
O  that  we  could  act  faith  strongly  on  this 
our  Advocate  ! 

To  have  a  friend  in  heaven,  and  such  a 
friend,  so  wise,  so  powerful,  so  faithful,  so 
merciful,  so  sensibly  affected  with  all  our 
miseries,  so  tender,    so  able,   so   willing  to 

•  Heb.  x.  10.  t  Rom-  i'li'  25- 


84 

hear  and  help  us  ;  I  say,  this  is  infinitely 
better  than  all  the  friends  that  ever  we  had, 
or  could  have  on  earth  :  and  this  friend  ever 
liveth,  and  maketh  continual  intercession  for 
us.  And  as  this  is  matter  of  comfort  in 
case  of  suffering,  so  in  case  of  sin  too.  If 
any  man  sin,  zve  have  an  Advocate  with  the 
Father,  fesus  Christ  the  righteous  ;  and  he  is 
the  propitiation  for  our  sins,  1  Johnn,  1,2. 
Faith  acted  on  this  blessed  Advocate,  is  the 
best  remedy  against  heart-trouble,  in  case 
both  of  sin  and  suffering. 

Secondly,  Jesus  Christ  is  bread  from  hea- 
ven ;  the  true  bread  for  souls,  the  bread  of 
life,  the  zvater  of  life,  John  vi.  35,  48,  51. 
Now,  when  poor  saints  are  fed  with  the 
bread  of  affliction,  and  with  the  water  of 
adversity,  let  them  look  up  to  Christ,  and 
act  faith  upon  him  ;  he  will  be  living  bread, 
life-giving  bread,  living  waters  to  their  souls, 
to  revive  their  drooping,  and  to  refresh  their 
fainting  spirits.  By  acting  faith  on  this 
blessed  Jesus,  the  fountain  of  living  waters, 
their  souls  shall  be  so  satisfied,  as  that  they 
shall  never  hunger  more,  never  thirst  more,* 
(that  is,  inordinately)  after  the  things  of  this 
world.  When  your  souls  want  strength  to 
bear  your  burthens,   want  comfort  in  your 

*  John  iv,  14.     Ibid  vi.3&. 


85 


distresses,  act  faith  on  this  Jesus,  this  bread 
of  life,  this  water  of  life,  and  you  shall  be 
refreshed  ;  you  shall  have  joy  ana  peace  in 
Relieving,  R ?m.  xv.  13. 

Thirdly,  Jesus  Christ  is  called  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness,  and  the  bright  Morning  Star, 
M<d.  iv.  3.  J\ev.  xxii.  16.  He  is  the  foun- 
tain of  righteousness  and  life,  as  the  sun  is 
of  light;  he  hath  healing  in  his  wings.  He 
was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  that  by 
his  stripes  we  might  be  healed**  He  was  ap- 
pointed to  heal  the  broken  hearted,  Luke  iv. 
He  will  heal  our  backs  tidings,  Has.  xiv.  4. 
He  is  the  great  Physician  ;  he  can  heal  all 
our  spiritual  and  bodily  diseases.  His  blood 
is  an  healing  blood  ;  his  spirit  an  healing  spi- 
rit ;  his  promises  healing  promises. f  He 
hath  afl  healing  virtue  in  him  ;  he  is  the  true 
Brazen  Serpent  ;  could  we  but  act  faith  on 
this  Jesus,  we  should  be  healed  of  all  our 
diseases.  He  is  the  bright  Morning  Star, 
We  are  in  darkness,  clouds  and  darkness 
upon  our  spirits  ;  many  dark  providences 
befall  us  ;  we  see  not  our  way  many  times, 
and  know  not  what  to  do  :  now,  let  us  act 
faith  on  Jesus,  he  will  bring  light  cut  of  dark- 
ness :  we  are  under  black  fears  and  sorrows, 

*  Isa.  lift  4,  5.  Ibid  lxi.  1,  2.  Fa»L  ciii.  3.  Ibid 
cvii.  20.         t  Ibid.  cxii.  4. 

II 


86 


and  all  is  dark  night  sometimes  with  us ; 
but  if  we  can  look  up  to  this  bright  Morning 
Star,  he  will  enlighten  our  darkness,*  he 
will  shine  upon  our  hearts,  and  scatter  all 
those  clouds,  and  give  us  a  joyful  morning. 

Fourthly,  Jesus  Christ  is  called,  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Lord's  hosts,  Joshua  v.  15,, 
and  the  captain  of  oar  salvation,  Heb.  ii.  10. 
He  hath  the  command  of  all  the  creatures  ; 
for  he  is  head  over  all  things,f  over  men  and 
devils :  All  power  in  heaven  and  earth  is 
his.\  O  !  if  we  could  but  act  faith  on  this 
Almighty  Jesus,  our  hearts  would  not  be 
troubled  for  any  thing  :  What  can  hurt  us  ?§ 
What  should  we  fear  ?  Our  blessed  Jesus, 
our  Saviour,  our  husband,  commands  all 
things  :**  he  rules,  and  over  rules  all  things  : 
no  creature,  no  man,  no  devil,  can  act  any 
thing  against  us,  without  our  Lord's  leave  : 
believe  in  this  captain, ff  and  let  not  your 
hearts  be  troubled.  He  will  tread  Satan  un- 
der your  feet  shorthj\\.  He  will  make  all  his 
and  our  enemies  his  foot  stool.  Let  us  look 
by  faith  unto  our  captain,  and  keep  our  eye 
on  him,  and  follow  him  wheresoever  he  go- 
eth:  let  us  make  him  our  leader,  and  by  faith 

*  Isa.  1. 10  f  EPh-  »■  21.  \  Matt,  xxviii.  8. 

■b  Rom.  viii.  31.  **  Col.  i.  16.         ft  Rora-  xvi'-  26. 

\\  Psal.  ex.     Rev.  xiv.  4. 


87 


in  him  we   shall  be  more  than  conquerors.-* 
He  hath  overcome  the  devil  and  the  world 
for  us,  and  he  will  overcome  all  corruptions, 
fear  and  sorrow  in  us,  and  will  shortly  set 
his  crown  upon  our  heads.     Christ  is  the 
captain  of  our  salvation  :   and  in  bringing  oj 
-many  sons  to   ghry,    he  was  made  perfect 
through  suffering.]     Act  faith  in  him  who 
hath    perfected    our    salvation  for    us  :   that 
work  is  done,  and  it  was  through  suffering,^ 
to  teach  us  to  be  willing  to  suffer  also,  to 
walk  in  his  steps  ;  for  in  the  way  of  suffering 
he   entered    into    his   glory  :   and    the    very 
same   way    will   he   bring    all  his  sons  and 
daughters  unto  glory  :  so  that  while  we  are 
suffering  for  him,  or  from  him,  if  we  be  his 
children,§  (which  we  may  know  if  we  have 
his  spirit)  we  are  in  the  right  and  ready  way 
to  glory.     And  then  have  we  any  cause  to 
let  our' hearts  be  troubled  with  sinful  fears 
care  and  sorrows  ?   Havr  we  any  cause  to  be 
cast  down   and  discouraged,  while    we  are 
following  our  captain,  are  making  ourselves 
conformable  to  him,  travelling  the  same  way 
to  heaven  that  he  went  there,  the  same  way 
to  glory,  the  way  of  reproach,  shame,  grief, 

*  Rom.  viii.  37.  t  Heb.  h.  14.      John  xvi.  33. 

\  1  Pet.  ii.  21.     Luke  xxiv.  26.  §  Horn.  vm.  9. 

Gal.  iv.  6. 


83 


sorrow,  fear,  poverty,  persecution,  tribula- 
tion, desertion,  the  same  steps  that  our  Lord 
went  to  glory  ?  O  !  that  we  could  but  still 
keep  our  eye  on  Jesus,  and  often  consider 
what  way  he  went  to  heaven ;  and  he  being 
our  captain,  we  should  shew  ourselves  his 
good  soldiers,  and  be  content  to  go  the  same 
way. 

Fifthly,  Jesus  Christ  is  called  the  consola- 
tion of  Israel,  Lake  ii.  25.  A  sweet  name 
indeed.  He  is  the  only  person  that  brings 
true  comfort,  being  the  fountain  and  spring 
of  all  consolation  :  that  one  of  a  thousand,5* 
who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  us.  He  it  is 
that  comforteth  his  people  in  all  their  tribula- 
tions^ He  it  is  that  speaketh  and  giveth 
his  peace  to  his  people  ;  and  when  he  giveth 
peace,  none  can  cause  trouble.  And  it  is 
his  promise,  that  when  he  hath  brought  his 
people  into  the  wilderness  of  fears  and  trou- 
bles, that  they  know  not  which  way  to  turn, 
that  then  he  will  speak  comfortably  to  them  ; 
will  speak  to  their  hearts,  as  the  word  hi  the 
original  signifies,  Hos.  ii.  14. 

I  might  largely  shew  here,  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  consolation  of  his  people  many 
ways  :  as,  by  his  coming  from  his  Father  in- 
to the  world,  to  become  our  surety,  to  un- 

•  Job  xxxiii.  23.  f  Ephes.  i.  7, 


89 


dertafce  for  us,  to  take  our  sins  upon  him, 
and  to  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  our 
sins  ;*  and  by  his  blood  to  purchase  our  re- 
mission. O  how  comfortable  is  a  surety  to 
on?  that  is  arrested,  indicted  and  arraigned ! 
How  comfortable  is  a  redeemer  to  a  poor 
miserable  captive!  How  comfortable  is  a  par- 
don to  a  condemned  malefactor!  All  this  is 
Jesus  to  his  people,  and  infinitely  more.  He 
is  gold  to  make  us  rich,  white  raiment  to  co- 
ver our  nakedness,  eye-salve  to  make  us  see  : 
he  is  light,|  the  light  of  life,  the  fountain  of 
life,  of  spiritual  and  eternal  life  ;  no  life  but 
by  him.  And  he  hath  assured  us,  that  ivhc- 
r  cometh  to  him,  and  believeth  in  him, 
shall  havi  everlasting  life,  and  shall  not  conn- 
into  condemnation.*  lie  is  afflicted  in  all  our 
And  is  not  this  a  comfortable 
consideration?  All  his  promises  are  as  so  ma- 
ny breasts  of  consolation  ;  all  his  ordinances, 
means  of  consolation  ;  his  word  a  word  ol 
consolation  ;  yea,  his  rod  of  affliction,  as 
well  as  his  staff,  is  blessed  for  the  comfort  of 
his  people.**  He  hath  also  promised  to  send 
his  spirit  the  Comforter,  to  his  people,  to 
abide  with  them  for  ever :f\  Yea  Christ  him- 
self makes  this  his  own  special  work,  also  to 

»Rev.  iii.  17,  18.      t  John  v.  12.      }  Ibid  iii.  16,  36. 
§  Isa.  lxiii.  9.         **  Psal.  xxiii.  4.         tt  Jo^n  xvi.  7. 
II  2 


90 


comfort  them  that  mourn,  Isa.  lx:.  2,  and 
hath  blessed  those  that  mourn;*  that  is,  with 
Godly  sorrow  ;  for  saith  he,  Iheij  shall  be 
comforted. 

How  greatly  then  doth  it  concern  us  to  be- 
lieve in  this  Jesus,  the  consolation  ol*  Israel ; 
to  look  by  faith  to  this  fountain  of  comfort, 
look  to  his  office,  look  to  his  word  and  pro- 
mises; beg  him  earnestly  to  send  the  Spirit, 
the  Comforter,  into  your  hearts :  look  to 
Jesus  alone  for  all  comfort,  and  draw  from 
this  spring  by  prayer,  faith  and  meditation, 
all  supplies  of  comfort  ;f  and  let  not  your 
hearts  be  troubled* 

Sixthly,  Jesus  Christ  is  called  a  counsellor, 
Isa.  ix.  6.  He  is  most  wise  ;  he  is  the  -wis- 
dom of  the  Father :  In  him  are  hid  all  the 
treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge  ;\  yea,  he 
is  made  of  God  our  wisdom,  1  Cor.  i.  30. 
So  that  when  we  are  in  doubts  and  darkness, 
perplexed  with  temptations,  and  know  not 
what  to  do ;  when  we  are  under  sad  and 
dark  providences,  and  know  not  how  to  in- 
terpret them  ;  when  we  are  under  various 
exercises,  and  know  not  how  to  answer  God's 
designs  in  them,  nor  how  to  improve  them  : 
when  we  are  in  the  dark,  and  know  not  the 

*  Matt,  v,  4.  f  Roip.  xy.  4* 

Col.  ii.  3. 


91 


meaning  of  God's  dispensations,  nor  the  de- 
sign of  God  in  them  ;  now  are  our  hearts 
troubled  in  all  such  cases  ;  but  here  is  our 
remedy,  this  is  the  course  we  must  take  : 
act  faith  now  upon  Jesus,  he  is  wisdom,  he 
is  a  most  wise  and  faithful  counsellor,  we 
may  freely  open  all  our  cases  and  conditions 
to  him  ;  he  will  not  despise  us,  nor  deceive 
us  ;  we  may  safely  trust  him  with  all  the  se- 
crets of  our  hearts  ;  and  let  us  labour  by  faith 
to  trust  him  for  counsel  in  all  cases  ;  let  us 
wait  for  his  counsel,  trust  to  it,  and  let  not 
your  hearts  be  troubled. 

Seventhly;,  Jesus  Christ  is  a  Redeemer, 
that  is  his  name  :*  he  came  into  the  world  on 
this  very  business,  to  redeem  his  people,  to 
redeem  them  from  all  iniquity,  Tit.  ii.  14, 
from  this  present  evil  world,  from  our  vain 
conversations.  He  hath  shed  his  precious 
blood  to  purchase  us.  .  We  are  bought  with 
a  price,]  we  are  none  of  our  own,  we  are  his, 
the  purchase  of  his  blood  ;  and  we  may  be 
confident  that  he  dearly  loves  us,  for  he  dear- 
ly bought  us  ;  and  if  he  had  not  dearly  loved 
us,  he  would  not  have  given  himself  for  us, 
Gal.  ii.  20.  That  was  the  highest  testimony 
of  his  love  ;  He  loved  us,  and  washed  lis  from 

*  Job  xix.  25.  Isa.xix.ig5.  Ibid  lvi.  20.  1  Pet. 
i.18.        i^Cor.yi.20.    1  Thess.  i.  10. 


92 


our  sins  m  his  blood.*  And  he  will  redeem 
us  from  the  wrath  to  come.  O  then  !  let  u» 
act  our  faith  on  our  sweet  Redeemer,  as  Job 
did  in  the  midst  of  all  his  troubles  ;  I  know \ 
saith  he,  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  &c.  So 
may  every  believer  say  ;  although  my  friends 
and  dearest  relations  die,  my  credit  and  es- 
tate dies,  though  my  outward  comforts  all 
die,  this  supports  me,  that  my  Redeemer  liv- 
eth  ;\  and  this  our  Redeemer  is  mighty, 
mighty  to  save,  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost, 
Heb.  vii.  25. 

Therefore  let  us  act  faith  on  our  dear  Re- 
deemer, and  upon  his  redemption  \\  that 
shortly  the  day  of  our  full  redemption  will 
come,  when  we  shall  be  delivered  fully  and 
for  ever  from  sin,  Satan,  and  the  world  :  from 
all  our  burthens,  fears  and  sorrows,  tempta- 
tions and  tribulations. 

I  might  mention  many  other  sweet  names 
and  titles  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  would  be 
food  for  faith  to  feed  upon  ;  as,  that  he  is  the 
everlasting  Father  ;§  he  hath  pity  and  com- 
passion for  all  his  poor  children,  and  power 
to  help  them,  being  the  Father  Almighty, 
and  hath  a  portion  for  them  too  ;  he  is  their 

•  Rev.  i.  6.  f  Psal.  xix.  14.  Prov.  xxiii.  11.  Luke 
xxi.8.        |  Col.  i.  14.     Heb.  ix.  12.         jlsa.ix.6. 


93 


portion,*  and  hath  provided  for  them  an  in- 
heritance incorruptible,  undefled,  and  that 
fadeth  not  away :]  he  is  the  Prince  of  Peace  , 
he  giveth  his  peace  to  his  people,  even  that 
peace  that  the  world  can  neither  give  to 
them,  nor  take  away  from  them4  When  he 
speaks  peace,  none  can  cause  trouble.^  He 
is  our  peace,**  and  hath  made  our  peace 
with  God  ;  and  it  is  he  alone  that  speaketh 
peace,  and  creates  the  fruit  of  the  lips,  peace, 
Isa.  lvii.  19.  He  is  also  our  shepherd: 
therefore  saith  David,  I  shall  xv ant  nothings 
Paul,  xxiii.  1.  He  isa  fountain  opened;  a 
fountain  of  light,  life,  love,  grace,  and  truth. 
He  is  the  head  of  his  body  the  church.  The 
husband,  the  bridegroom,  his  people  are  his 
members,  his  spouse,  he  is  the  heir  of  all 
things.  In  him  dxvelleth  all  fullness.  He 
is  the  King  of  saints,  the  Rock  of  ages.  Yea, 
he  is  All,  and  in  all.  jf  O  beloved  !  had  we 
but  faith  to  act  on  this  blessed  Jesus,  and  on 
these  his  most  sweet  names  and  gracious  at- 
tributes, our  hearts  would  not  be  troubled, 
into  what  condition  soever  we  were  brought. 
Could  we  act  faith  on  Jesus,  as  our  head, 
husband,  and  father,  who  is  all  fullness,  all 

*  Psal.  cii'i.  13.  Lam.  iii.  24.  f  1  Pet.  i.  4.  \ John 
xiv.  37.  xvi.  33.  $  Job  xxxiv.  29.  **  Eph.  ii.  14, 
jf  Col.  i.  18.  Eph.  v.  30.  Heb.  i.  2.  Col.  i.  19.  iii.  11. 


94 


in  all ;  could  we  doubt  of  having  all  season- 
able supplies  from  him  ?  Let  our  faith  but 
apprehend,  apply,  and  appropriate  Jesus  as 
our  blessed  head,  our  most  dear  husband,  and 
then  consider  in  earnest  who  he  is,  and  what 
he  is  ;  how  mighty,  how  full,  how  loving, 
how  full  of  pity,  how  compassionate,  tender- 
hearted, and  kind  ;  how  ready  to  help,  how 
engaged  to  us  by  many  promises  ;  and  can 
we  then  take  up  such  unworthy  thoughts  of 
him,  as  to  think  he  hath  forgotten  us  I  Will 
he  not  timely  support  and  supply  us  ?  Hath 
he  shed  his  blood  for  us,  and  will  he  forget 
us,  can  he  forget  us  I  Are  not  all  his  people 
as  dear  to  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye  ?% 
Surely  it  is  our  want,  or  the  weakness  of  our 
faith,  that  causeth  all  our  heart-trouble.  O 
■my  poor  soul !  how  comfortably  might  est  thou 
live,  if  thou  couldst  live  by  faith !  Lord,  I 
belitve;  help,  strengthen  my  faith.  Could 
we  but  apply  and  appropriate  Christ  to  our 
souls,  and  act  faith  upon  those  precious 
names  of  Christ,  which  are  not  so  many 
empty  titles,  which  are  sometimes  given  to 
men ;  but  they  are  real  representations  oi 
that  most  dear  love  and  tender  affection,  of 
that  special  care,  mercy,  and  loving-kind- 
riess  that  is  in  Jesus  towards  all  his  poor  chil- 

*  Zech.  ii.  8. 


95 


dren,  that  they  might  draw  out  the  same  for 
their  strong  consolation  ;*  and  that  they 
might  trust  in  him,  and  not  despond  nor  be 
dejected.  Thus,  if  we  can  believe  in  Jesus, 
our  heai  ts  shall  not  be  troubled. 

Thirdly,  Faith  acted  on  the  covenant  of 
grace,  whereof  Christ  is  the  mediator,  and 
upon  all  his  exceeding  great  and  preci- 
ous promises,]  will  prevent  and  cure  all  heart- 
trouble.  Believe  in  the  blessed  Mediator  of 
the  new  covenant,  who  hath  undertaken,  not 
only  on  God's  part  to  see  that  his  part  be  per- 
formed to  us,  but  is  also  become  our  sure- 
ty -,\  undertaken  for  us',  and  by  himself,  to 
fulfil  the  whole  law  of  God  both  actively  and 
passively  ;  to  fulfil  all  righteousness  for  us, 
and  by  his  spirit  to  fulfil  the  conditions  of 
the  covenant,  working  in  us  faith,  love,  obe- 
dience, and  all  grace. § 

In  this  sense,  God  hath  given  Christ  to  be 
a  covenant  to  us,  La.  xliii.  6.  And  his  blood 
is  the  blood  of  the  covenant,**  by  which  he 
rescueth  poor  souls  that  were  prisoners  to 
sin  and  Satan,  out  of  the  pit  of  destruction, 
Zech.  ix.  11,  by  this  covenant,  upon  Christ's 
shedding  of  his  blood  as  a  sacrifice  for  sin, 

*  Heb.  vi.ir.     f  Heb.viii.  6.  xi.  20.     JHeb.vii.  22. 
J  2  Cor.  v.  19,  20.  Mutt.  iii.  15.  Rora.  ii.  1. 

**  Rom.  iii.  15. 


9.6 


and  his  performing  all  the  work  of  media- 
tion, and  upon  our  receiving  of  him,  and  be- 
lieving in  him,  as  he  is  offered  to  us  in  the 
gospel,  God  is  pleased  to  promise  to  become 
our  God,  our  reconciled  Father,*  to  pardon 
all  sins,  to  give  us  his  spirit,  and  all  grace 
here,  and  glory  hereafter.f  Now,  Christ 
our  blessed  Mediator,  hath  perfectly  fulfilled 
all  that  God  required  for  us,  and  in  our  room 
and  stead  ;+  that  is  most  certain,  for  he  fin- 
ished the  work  that  his  Father  gave  him  to 
do  ;§  and  he  hath  made  many  sweet  pro- 
mises to  us,  that  he  will  send  his  spirit  into 
our  hearts,**  to  work  faith  in  us  to  receive 
him,  and  to  apply  the  merit  of  his  blood  to 
us,  to  sanctify,  and  renew  us  thereby  :|f  and 
hath  promised,  that  whosoever  comes  unto 
him,  he  xvill  in  no  zvise  cast  out.\\  And  all 
that  shall  come  unto  him,  shall  find  rest  to 
their  souls.§§  That  whosoever  believeth  in 
him  shall  be  saved ;  that  he  will  keep  them, 
and  none  shall  pluck  them  out  of  his  hand. 
That  he  will  raise  them  up  at  the  last  davr\ 
Assuring  us,  that  he  is  gone  to  heaven,  as 
our  fore-runner,  to  prepare  a  place  for  us 
there  ;  and  that  he  will  come  again,  and  take 

*  John  i.  12.  f  2  Cor.  ii.  18,  19.  |  Isa.  lv.  % 

*?sal.  lxxxiv.  11.  §  Jer.  xxxi.  31.  **  John  xvii. 

tf  John  xv.  26.  ||  John  vi.  57.  vii.  37.  $$  Mat*, 
xi.  38.         A  John  x.  28. 


<J/ 


himself^  that  where  he  is,  there  7ie  may 
be  also.  Now,  if  we  can  but  act  faith  on  this 
Jesus,  and  on  the  covenant  whereof  he  is 
the  Mediator,  and  on  his  promises,  applying 
them,  and  reiving  on  them,  our  hearts  shall 
not.  be  troubled. 

Besides,  let  us  consider,  there  is  not  a 
passage  ol  providence  from  God  to  us,  but 
it  comes  through  the  hand  of  this  Mediator, 
1  Cor.  viii.  6.  All  things  are  by  him :  put 
what  you  will  in  the  hand  of  a  Mediator,  and 
in  his  power,  it  must  needs  turn  to  the  good 
of  him,  for  whom  he  is  a  Mediator  :  now,  to 
support  and  comfort  us  in  all  our  troubles, 
let  us  consider  two  things. 

1.  This  Mediator  steps  in  between  God's 
wrath  and  us,  in  all  our  afflictions,  that  no 
fury  or  effects  of  it  may  break  forth  from 
God  on  his  people,  for  whom  he  is  the  Me- 
diator, that  nothing  but  fatherly  love  may  be 
in  the  chastisement ;  and  if  love  send  the 
affliction,  whatever  it  be,  to  try  and  purge, 
£vc.  there  can  be  no  hurt  in  that  afRicticn. 
Again,  our  Mediator  interposeth,  either  to 
hold  olf  the  smart,  or  to  allay  and  mitigate 
it,  that  it  shall  not  distract,  Dan.  iii.  25,  no, 
nor  hurt. 

2.  He  steps  in  to  uphoM  us,  and  to 
strengthen  our  weakness,  enabling  us  to  en- 
dure, Ph'il.  iv.  ^1,  12,  13.     It  was  the  Medi- 


\)S 


ator  that  did  strengthen  Paul ;  The  Lord 
stood  by  me,  and  strengthened  me,  said  he: 
faith  acted  on  this  blessed  Mediator,  eyeing 
him,  and  believing  that  our  afflictions  come 
through  his  hands,  even  through  his  who 
loved  us,  and  died  for  us  ;  our  dearest  friend, 
and  who  hath  all  power  in  heaven  and  earth, 
must  be  a  mighty  support  to  us  in  all  our 
troubles. 

Fourthly,  Let  faith  be  acted  on  the  word 
of  Christ  also  :  ye  believe  the  word  of  God, 
believe  the  word  of  Christ  also  :  His  mouth 
is  most  sweet :  none  but  gracious  words  pro- 
ceed out  of  his  mouth.*  Grace  was  poured 
into  his  lips;]  and  he  poured  out  grace  in  all 
his  words  :  his  whole  gospel  is  a  gospel  of 
grace,  words  of  peace  and  salvation.  Hear 
him  speaking  most  sweetly,  Matt.  xi.  28. 
Come  unto  me  all  ye  thai  are  weary  and  heavy 
laden,  and  I  xvill  give  you  rest.  O  what 
sweej:  words  are  these  !  Ho,  every  one  thai 
thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  xvaters  and  drink, 
without  money  and  without  price,  Isa.lv.  1, 
2=  Iain  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life.] 
Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock  ;  if  any 
man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
come  in  and  sup  with  him,  and  he  with 
me.      This   is   but  a   taste    of  those   sweet 

*  Luke  iv.  22.        f  Psal.  xlv.  2.       \  John  xiv.  6. 


99 


clusters  of  most  refreshing  grapes  which 
hang  upon  the  boughs  of  the  gospel  :  let  us 
take  frequent  view  of  what  lies  upon  record 
in  the  evangelists,  and  often  read  over  the 
manifold  promises  of  grace  that  fell  from 
the  sweet  mouth  of  our  blessed  Lord,  and 
meditate,  and  ponder,  and  consider  of  them, 
act  our  faith  upon  them,  and  we  shall  find 
comfort  in  them  ;  his  words  drop  as  an  ho- 
ney comb,  his  words  are  spirit  and  life* 
More  particularly. 

First,  Our  faith  must  be  acted  upon 
Christ's  word  of  precept,  his  word  of  com- 
mand in  time  of  trouble  :  Fear  not  him  that 
can  kill  the  body,  but  him  that  can  cast  both 
soul  and  body  into  hell.*  Fear  none  of  those 
things  which  thou  shall  suffer. \  Let  not  your 
heart  be  troubled,  nor  let  it  be  afraid.  Re- 
joice when  men  shall  persecute  you,\  &c.  In 
patience  possess  ye  your  souk r/§  with  many 
such.  Now,  Christians  must  yield  up  the 
obedience  of  faith  to  such  commands,  and 
urge  them  upon  their  hearts,  charging  them- 
selves to  obey  them,  saying,  O  my  soul !  my 
Lord  hath  forbidden  me  to  fear,  to  be  trou- 
bled, to  be  thoughtful,  to  be  dejected,  &c. 
he  hath  commanded   me  to  <">c  patient,  yea, 

*  Lukexii.4f  32.         f  Rev.  ii.  10.        \  Matt.  v.  7. 
§  Luke  -xxi.  19. 


100 


to  rejoice  in  my  suffering  :*  he  is  my  Lord, 
and  I  must  obey  him.  I  must  keep  his 
sayings,  or  else  I  cannot  be  his  disciple  :f  if 
I  keep  his  commandments,  he  will  manifest 
himself  to  my  soul,  his  Father  will  love  me, 
and  he  will  love  me,  and  they  both  will  make 
their  abode  with  me  ;  for  it  is  his  promise, 
John  xiv.  21,  22.  Say  thus,  O  my  soul !  Je- 
sus Christ  is  my  King  and  my  Lawgiver,  I 
must  obey  him  ;  he  is  my  prophet  also,  and 
I  must  hear  him  in  all  things  whatsoever  he 
shall  say  unto  me.\  I  have  taken  him  for  my 
Lord  as  well  as  my  Saviour ;  for  my  King 
to  rule  me,  as  well  as  for  my  Jesus  to  save 
me,  for  my  Prophet  to  teach  me,  as  well  as 
for  my  Priest  to  satisfy  for  me.  O  my  soul ! 
consider,  he  is  the  author  of  eternal  salva- 
tion only  to  those  that  obey  him.  Thus  ap- 
plying the  commands  of  Christ  to  ourselves, 
and  urging  his  authority  upon  our  hearts,  it 
will  help  us  to  bear  up  under  our  troubles. 

Secondly,  Act  faith  upon  the  promises  of 
Christ,  of  which  somewhat  was  said  before. 
He  hath  promised  to  be  always  with  us,  to 
send  the  Comforter,  to  manifest  himself  unto 
us  ;  that  he  will  not  break  the  bruised  reedy 
nor  quench  the  smoking-  Jlax  :§  that  he  will 

*  John  xiv.  15.  xv.  12.  f  Matt.  vii.  24.  \  Acts 
111  22.        $  Matt.  six.  29,     Isa.  xl.  11. 


101 


give  us  an  hundred-fold  for  all  our  losses  for 
his  sake.  That  he  will  gather  us  with  his 
arm,  carry  us  in  his  bosom  ;  that  he  will  hear 
our  prayers  ;  that  he  will  give  us  a  crown,  a 
kingdom,  everlasting  life,  with  many  more. 
O  !  could  we  act  our  faith  upon  his  precious 
promises,  and  lie  sucking  by  faith  on  those 
full  breasts  of  consolation,  and  draw  by  faith, 
prayer,  and  meditation,  from  these  wells  of 
salvation,  we  should  find  sweet  support  under 
all  our  troubles. 

Thirdly,  Faith  acted  on  the  word  of  threat- 
ening, may  put  a  stop  to  heart-trouble  :  Je- 
sus Christ  hath  dreadfully  threatened  those 
that  love  father  or  mother,  son  or  daughter, 
more  than  him,  or  their  own  lives  ;  and  those 
that  are  ashamed  of  him,  or  his  word  ;  and 
those  that  fall  from  him,  and  hear  his  sayings, 
and  do  them  not ;  and  those  that  are  fruit- 
less branches,  &c.^ 

Fourthly,  Faith  acted  on  the  examples  in 
the  word  of  Christ,  especially  his  own  ex- 
ample, learn  of  me,  saith  he,  for  I  am  meek 
and  lozvly  in  heart.]  He  was  a  lamb  dumb 
before  the  shearers  ;\  and  we  must  follow 
his  steps.  We  have  also  a  cloud  of  witnesses, 
the  examples  of  the  primitive  Christians,  who 

•  Matt.  x.  37.    Luke  xiv.  26.    Mark  viii.  38.    John 
xv.  3.    t  Matt.  xi.  29.        4  1  Pet.  i.  21. 
I  2 


102 


bore  all  their  troubles  with  patience  and  holy 
courage  ;  and  we  are  expressly  commanded 
to  be  followers  of  them,  who  through  faith 
and  patience  inherit  the  promise.*  Thus 
faith  acted  on  the  word  of  Christ,  will  help 
against  all  heart-trouble. 

Fifthly,  Faith  acted  on  the  work  of  Christ, 
will  either  prevent  or  cure  heart-trouble. 
And  that  again,  if  faith  be  acted  upon  the 
work  he  hath  done  for  us  already,  and  upon 
the  work  he  is  now  doing  for  us  in  heaven, 
and  upon  the  work  he  is  now  doing  in  us  on 
earth,  and  upon  the  work  he  will  do  for  us, 
and  in  us,  and  upon  us  at  the  last  day :  all 
which  works  of  Christ,  if  we  act  our  faith  on 
them,  we  shall  not  be  much  troubled  in  our 
hearts.  Believe  me,  saith  he,  for  the  zvorks 
sake,  Jphrixiv*  11. 

1.  Faith  must  be  acted  upon  that  great 
and  glorious  work  of  Christ  for  us  when  he 
was  upon  earth,  that  work  which  his  Father 
gave  him  to  do,  in  the  days  of  his  flesh,f  as 
our  Redeemer,  and  that  in  doing,  and  in  suf- 
fering ;  for  he  came  to  do  the  will  of  God  by 
his  obedience,  as  well  as  to  suffer  it  by  his 
satisfaction,^:  and  this  in  his  state  of  humilia- 
tion. He  assumed  human  nature,  entered 
the  virgin's  womb,  and  was  born  of  her,  yet 

*  Heb.  vi.  12.     f  Vrk  £  9     |  Heb.il  U ,  15,  !<?. 


io: 


without  sin»*  He  lived  on  earth  a  time,  do- 
ing good,  and  healing  all  manner  of  dis- 
eases :f  spent  most  of  his  time  in  preaching, 
and  praying,  fasting  and  revealing  to  men 
the  whole  will  of  God  for  their  salvation, 
and  fulfilling  all  righteousness.  He  profess- 
ed he  came  not  to  do  his  own  will  but  the  will 
of  him  that  sent  him,  John  vi.  38,  39.  And, 
saith  he,  this,  is  the  Father's  will  which  sent 
me,  that  of  all  which  he  hath  given  me,  I 
should  lose  nothing,  but  should  raise  it  up  at 
the  last  day.  A  comfortable  consideration 
indeed,  and  a  cure  for  heart-trouble  :  that 
our  Lord  Jesus  will  raise  up  all  our  dead, 
dear  relations  and  friends,  now  rotting  in 
their  graves  :  all  that  died  in  Jesus,\  will 
God  bring  with  him.  And  this  also  is  the  Fa- 
ther's will,  that  every  one  that  seeth  the  Son, 
that  is, every  one  that  bv  faith  receiveth  and 
helieveth  in  the  Son,  shall  have  everlasting  life. 
Now,  to  accomplish  and  finish  this  will  of  the 
Father,  was  the  whole  work  of  Christ  upon 
earth,  and  to  draw  poor  souls  unto  him,  to 
work  faith  in  them  by  his  word  and  spirit, 
and  fulfil  the  whole  law  of  God  for  them, 
even  in  them,  Rom.  viii.  4,  and  to  begin  and 

♦  Phil  ii.  6,  7.        t  Matt.  ill.  15.         \  1  Thess.  iv. 
16  17 


104 

finish  the  whole  work  of  our  redemption.* 
Faith  acted  on  this  work  of  Christ  upon 
earth  for  us  in  the  several  parts  of  it,  he  be- 
ing partaker  of  flesh  and  blood  with  us,  to  de- 
liver us  from  him  that  had  the  power  of  death, 
that  is  the  devil;  and  to  free  us  from  the  fear 
of  death,  by  which  we  rvere  always  subject  to 
bondage.}  I  say,  if  we  can  act  faith  on  these 
works  of  Christ  for  us,  we  shall  have  no 
cause  of  heart-trouble. 

Let  us  consider,  that  our  blessed  Lord  de- 
nied himself  on  earth,  and  was  well  pleased 
not  to  have  his  own  will,  nor  to  do  his  own 
will,  but  referred  himself  entirelv  to  his  Fa- 
ther's ;  what  reason  have  we  poor  worms,  to 
he  troubled,  when  our  wills  are  crossed  ? 
Let  us  in  heart  and  life  say  as  we  pray,  thy 
will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.}. 
And  when  the  will  of  God  is  done  upon  our 
families  and  relations,^  let  not  our  hearts  be 
troubled,  but  let  us  imitate  Jesus  Christ,  in 
our  submission  to  the  will  of  God,  making  it 
our  work  on  earth  to  be  doing  all  the  good 
we  can,  and  so  to  put  him  on,**  and  walk,  as 
he  walked,  and  not  be  troubled. 

Secondly,  Faith  acted  on  Christ's  suffering- 
work  on  earth,  will  greatly  contribute  to  our 

*  John  xvii.  4.      f  Heb.  ii.  14,  15.     J  Matt,  xvl  10, 
}  Acts  xxi.  14.        **  1  John  ii.  6. 


105 


support :  he  was  a  man  of sorrows  ;*  so  that 
if  we  meet  with  sorrows  on  earth,  we  do  but 
drink  of  our  master's  own  cup,  and  that 
should  quiet  us. 

Christ's  sufferings  on  earth  were  of  two 
kinds,  viz.  for  our  imitation,  and  for  satis- 
faction for  our  sins. 

1.   For  our  imitation.     His  patient  suffe- 
ring of  reproaches,  scorns,  revilings,  contra- 
diction of  sinners,  temptations,  persecutions, 
bonds,  poverty,  shame,  loss  of  friends,  &c.| 
Suffering  all    with   invincible    patience   and 
meekness,  without  the  least  murmuring,  re- 
pining, disquiet,  or  discontent,  without  any 
retaliation  :  for  when  he  was  reviled,  he  revil- 
ed not  again ;\  he  prayed  for  his  enemies,  &c. 
and  all  this  as  our  example,  that  we  should 
follow  his  steps,  1  Pet.  ii.  21,  22,  23.      And 
if  our  Lord,  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth, 
suffered  such  things,  what  reason  or  cause 
have  we  to  be  troubled  in  our  hearts  when  we 
are  persecuted,  reviled,  forsaken  of  all  our 
friends,     impoverished,   exposed   to   shame 
and  sorrow,  seeing  our  blessed  Lord  was  so 
exposed,  and  so  exercised  upon  earth  1   Is  it 
not  enough  for  the  servant  to  be  as  his  mas- 

*  Isa.  liii.  1,  2.  f  Mark  x.  39.     Matt.  xxvi.  39. 

t  1  Pet.  ii.  22. 


106 


ter  >  shall  we  think  to  fare  better  than  him  ? 
His  sufferings  were  to  teach  us  to  bear  ours 
with  christian  patience,  and  to  sanctify  ours 
to  us  ;  yea,  in  all  our  sufferings  he  sympa- 
thized with  us. 

Let  us  then  act  our  faith  upon  Christ's  suf- 
ferings on  earth  ;  his  whole  life  being  a  life 
of  suffering,  he  knew  what  trouble  meant ; 
he  was  acquainted  with  grief:  he  knew  what 
it  was  to  lose  a  friend ;  for  in  his  greatest 
trouble,  all  his  disciples  (whom  he  calls  his 
friends)  forsook  him  and  fled  :  and  being 
ttmpted  himself \  he  knoivs  how  to  succour 
them  that  are  tempted.*  He  hath  a  feeling  of 
all  our  infirmities.  Let  us  labour  to  act 
faith  on  Jesus,  and  our  hearts  xvill  not  be 
troubled. 

2.  But  his  great  suffering- work  for  us  was 
his  work  of  satifaction.  All  our  sins  being 
laid  on  him,  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  bruise 
him  and  to  put  him  to  grief  and  to  make 
his  soul  an  offering  for  sin  :f  he  poured 
cut  his  soul  unto  death,  and  ruas  numbered 
among  transgressors,  was  made  sin  for  us:  he 
bare  our  sins  on  his  own  body  on  the  tree; 
ivas  made  a  curse  for  us  ;\  suffered  the  wrath 
of  God  for  us,  to  deliver  us  from  the  wrath 

•  Heb.  ii.  18.  iv.  15.     f  Isa.  liii.  6, 10,  22.     \  2  Cor. 
v,  20.     Gal.  iii.  10.    1  Pet.  ii.  24.    1  Thess.  i.  10, 


107 


to  come.  The  blessed  Jesus,  when  our  sins 
were  upon  him,  he  was  sore  amazed,  groaned, 
ivas  exceeding  sorrowful  even  unto  death;* 
he  was  in  a  bloody  sweat,  in  a  bitter  agony 
in  the  garden  :  he  was  falsely  accused,  un- 
justly condemned,  and  then  barbarously  cru- 
cified, suffering  that  cursed  and  cruel,  shame- 
ful and  painful  death  of  the  cross  :  and  all  as 
our  surety,  and  as  a  sacrifice  to  God  for  our 
sins.f  Clinst  our  passover  was  sacrificed  for 
us,\  to  make  atonement  and  satisfaction  to 
the  law  and  justice  of  God  for  us,  Rom,  iii. 
25. 

This  was  the  great  work  of  the  transcend- 
ent love  of  Jesus  Christ  when  he  was  upon 
earth,  when  he  travailed  in  soul,  drank  of  the 
brook  in  the  wai/,§  that  black  torrent  of  wrath 
and  curses  that  lay  in  the  way  between  out- 
souls  and  heaven,  which  stopped  up  our 
passage  thitherward,  and  made  it  utterly  im- 
passible for  us  :  but  Jesus  made  a  passage  by 
his  blood,  that  his  redeemed  might  pass 
thither.**  So  great  were  his  sufferings  in 
this  world  for  us,  that  they  made  him  cry 
out,  mi)  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
mePf\  Offering  up  strong  cries  with  tears. \\ 

*  Matt.  xxvi.  37,  38.  Luke  xxii.  44.  f  Rom.  iv. 
25.  \  1  Cor.  v.  7.  $  Gal  ii.  20.  Rev.  i.  6.  Psal. 
ex.  7.  **  Heb.  ix.  12.  ft  Matt,  xxvii.  46.  ||  Heb, 
v.  7. 


108 


Now  then  let  us  act  our  faith  on  the  sui* 
serings  of  Christ  here  on  earth,  and  believe 
that  he  suffered  all  those  hard  and  heavy, 
those  bitter  and  grievous  things  for  us,  and 
in  our  names ;  that  he  bore  our  sins  to  satisfy 
God's  justice  for  them,  to  purchase  and  pro- 
cure our  pardon.  O !  that  we  could  but  be- 
lieve in  this  Jesus,  that  he  sweated  great 
drops  of  blood  for  us,  and  that  he  shed  his 
very  heart  blood  upon  the  cross  for  us,  and 
by  faith  apply  and  appropriate  all  this  to  our 
own  souls,  believing  that  he  was  wounded  for 
our  transgressions,  artd  smitten  for  our  sins  ; 
that  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  zvas  upon 
him;*  that  by  the  blood  of  his  cross  he  hath 
made  our  peace,  and  hath  purchased  for  us 
eternal  life.  Believe  this,  and  then  see  what 
little  cause  you  have  to  have  your  hearts 
troubled  for  any  loss  or  cross  whatsoever. 
The  consideration,  in  a  way  of  believing  of 
what  Christ  hath  done  for  us,  and  what  he 
hath  suffered  for  us,  should  make  us  patient- 
ly do  or  suffer  any  thing  for  him  and  from 
him.     Believe  also  in  me. 

Secondly.  Our  faith  must  be  acted  upon 
the  work  of  Christ,  which  is  now  doing  for 
us  in  heaven.  He  is  not  idle  there,  although 
he  be  setdovjn  on  ihe  right  hand  of  the  majes- 

*  Isa.  liii.  5.    Eph.  ii.  14. 


109 


ty  on  high;*  but  he  is  at  work  for  his  people 
there:  he  makcth  continual  intercession  for 
us.]  He  is  there  as  our  advocate  to  plead 
our  cause,  and  manage  all  our  business 
there  ;  presenting  his  blood  in  the  virtue  of 
it  to  his  father  for  our  pardon  :  presenting 
our  persons  and  services  perfumed  with  the 
incense  of  his  own  righteousness,  and  by  his 
spirit  applying  the  virtue  of  it  to  all  our  souls. 
He  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  that 
come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing"  he  ever  iiveth  to 
make  intercession  for  us.\  Of  this  I  have 
spoken  before.  Now  if  we  can  act  our  faith 
upon  the  intercession  of  Christ,  who  knows 
all  our  wants,  burthens,  cares,  and  fears,  and 
whose  office  it  is  to  plead  and  intercede  for 
us  in  heaven,§  (though  we  may  scarce  have 
any  to  plead  or  speak  a  word  for  us  on  earth, 
yet)  we  should  have  no  cause  to  have  our 
hearts  troubled  :  we  have  a  faithful  friend, 
to  whom  we  may  commit  our  cause. 

Thirdly,  Christ  is  doing  a  work  in  us  on 
earth,  while  he  himself  is  in  heaven :  he  is 
humbling  us,  purging  us,  teaching  us,  morti- 
fying our  corruptions,  crucifying  our  inor- 
dinate affections,  sanctifying  us,  and  so  pre- 
paring us  for  heaven  :   he  is  making  us  mete 

*  Heb.  viii.      f  Isa.  liii.  12.    Rom.  viii.  34r    \  Heb 
vn.25        |Psal.x.  14. 

K 


110 

for  the   kingdom  :  he  is  fitting  us  for   his 
Father's  house,  by  all  his  ordinances,  by  all 
his  providences,  by  every  loss  and  cross ;  by 
all  our  afflictions,  as  2  Cor.  iv.  17.    Our  light 
afflictions,  which  are  but  for  a  moment,  work 
for  us  (that  is,  by  way  of  preparation)  afar 
more  exceeding  and  eternal  xvcight  of  glory. 
Jesus  Christ  is  in  the  word,  and  in  the  rod; 
he  is  All   in  all :  he  is  still  forming,  squar- 
ing, fashioning  and  working  by  his  spirit,* 
word  and  rod,  upon  his  people,  to  make  them 
more  and  more  conformable  to  himself,  to 
square  them  as   stones  for  his  building,  to 
make  them  habitations  for  himself,]  temples 
for  the  Holy  Ghost  to  dwell  in,  and  that  he 
himself  may  delight  to  dwell  in  them  here* 
and  to  make  them  fit  to  dwell  with  him  for 
ever  in  glory.     Now,  let  us  labour  to  act  our 
faith  on  those  blessed  works  of  Christ  in  us, 
and  believe  that  he  is  thus  working  in  us, 
even  in  and  by  all  our  afflictions,  and  labour 
to  feel  and  find  these  gracious  works  carry- 
ing on  in  us,  and  we  shall  have  no  cause  to 
be  troubled. 

Moreover,  our  faith  should  be  acted  upon 
the  work  that  Christ  is  now  doing  for  us  in 
heaven :  besides  his  intercession  for  us 
there,  he  is  preparing  a  place  for  us  in 
keaven  as  he  told  his  disciples,  to  comfort 

»  Rom.  viii  28.    Eph.  ii.  20,22.    f  Heb>  xiii.  21. 


Ill 


them  :  In  my  Fathers  house  arc  many  man- 
sions :  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  A 
place  in  heaven  is  infinitely  better,  and  more 
to  be  desired  than  the  best  place  on  earth. 
A  place  in  the  Father's  house,  in  the  highest 
heavens,  in  that  glorious  paradise  above, 
that  is  the  place  of  all  places,  where  the  great 
and  glorious  God  dwells  ;  there  blessed  Je- 
sus dwells  :  O  that  New  Jerusalem  !  the  city 
of  the  living  God,  that  is  the  place  indeed  : 
that  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heaven*.*  Some  think  that  Jesus  went  lo- 
cally into  hell,  but  we  are  sure  he  went 
locally  into  heaven  ;  and  we  know  for  what 
he  went  there  ;  for  he  hath  told  us,  it  was 
to  prepare  a  place  for  us  there,  ^ere  below, 
all  places  are  full  of  darkness,  snares,  temp- 
tations, fears,  dangers,  persecutions,  but  that 
is  a  place  of  perfect  peace,  perfect  rest,  of 
light,  comfort,  joy  and  consolation.  Here 
we  are  pilgrims  and  strangers,  there  is  our 
home,  our  Father's  house.  Here  we  have  no 
continuing  city,  no  a'oiding  place. f  Christ's 
people  here  in  this  world,  many  times,  have 
no  certain  dwelling-place,  but  are  driven 
from  house  and  home,  are  forced  to  fly  from 
one  city  to  another,  from  town  to  country, 
from  one  kingdom  to  another ;  constrained 
to  wander  from  place  to  place ;  while  others 

*  2  Cor.  v.  1,  2.  Acts  i.  9,  10,  11,     l  1  Cor  iv,  11, 


112 


abide  in  their  habitations,  they  must  seek 
their  quarters  where  they  can  find  them, 
awhile  under  one  friend's  roof,  awhile  un- 
der another  ;  which  is  no  small  affliction 
to  them  that  feel  it,  though  others  lay  it 
not  to  heart.  Now,  what  should  comfort 
us  in  this  our  pilgrimage  and  wilderness 
condition  ?  What  should  support  us  in  this 
our  wandering  state,  but  that  it  was  even 
thus  with  our  blessed  Lord  himself  upon 
earth,  who  had  not  an  house  to  put  his  head 
in  P  And  so  it  was  with  his  disciples,  and 
with  many  choice  saints,  as  Heb.  xi.  37,  38. 
What  should  bear  up  our  spirits,  but  this 
comfortable  consideration,  that  our  Lord 
went  to  heaven  on  purpose  to  prepare  a  place 
for  us  there  .?  If  the  earth  cast  us  out,  hea- 
ven will  receive  us  :*  if  men  say  to  us,  re- 
move, be  gone  hence,  depart  away,  here  is  no 
place,  no  abiding  for  you  ;  our  dear  Lord 
will  call  out  of  heaven,  and  say,  Come  up  hi- 
ther,] come  up  to  me,  I  have  prepared  a  place 
for  you  here.  There  is  room  enough,  In  my 
Father's  house  there  are  many  mansions,  and 
from  thence  there  shall  be  no  remove  for 
ever,  no  more  any  changing  houses  for  ever, 
when  once  we  are  lodged  in  our  Father's 
house,  there  is  our  fore-runner  for  its  enter- 

*  2  Cor.  vi.  11.  t  Rev.  xi.  12. 


113 


eel.*-  The  hope  we  have  through  grace  of 
getting  into  that  blessed  place,  by  that  new 
and  living'  way,  to  rest  there  after  all  oar 
weary  wanderings  here,  and  never  to  remove 
more,  is  that  which  comforts  us  in  these  our 
troublesome  removes  here  :  O  that  place, 
and  that  blessed  state  in  that  place  !  To  see 
God,  and  to  be  ever  with  the  Lord,  to  see  our 
lovely  Lord  Jesus  as  he  is,  and  to  be  made 
like  unto  him.]  Could  we  fix  our  hearts  and 
eyes  more  steadfastly  upon  these  invisible 
and  eternal  things,  we  should  more  quietly 
and  comfortably  bear  our  present  troubles, 
yea,  and  r  jjoice  in  them.  And  when  we  can 
act  our  iai  :h  upon  that  place  and  state  above, 
and  conclude  our  title  to  it,  by  our  interest 
in  Christ,  then  our  hearts  will  not  be  trou- 
bled. 

Also  this  consideration  should  preserve  us 
from  heart-trouble,  and  sorrow  for  the  loss 
of  dear  relations  which  died  in  Jesus,  for 
that  they  are  gone  home  to  their  Father's 
house,  they  are  safely  arrived  at  their  har- 
bour, they  are  safely  housed,  they  are  where 
they  would  be,  they  are  gone  to  the  place 
that  their  beloved  Lord  went  to  prepare  for 
them,  to  that  city  of  God,  to  the  general  as- 

*  Heb.  vi.  20.       f  Matt.  v.  8.     1  Thess.  iv.     X  John 
Ui.  2,  3. 

K  2 


114 


sembly  of  the  first-born  whose  names  are  tvrit- 
ten  in  heaven,  he*  Thty  would  not  ex- 
change their  place  now,  for  the  most  stately 
and  most  magnificent  place  in  all  the  world. 
O  !  could  wTe  but  realize  by  faith  that  most 
happy  state  and  place  where  our  deceased 
pious  friends  are  gone,  our  hearts  would  not 
be  troubled  for  them. 

And  this  may  comfort  us  also  under  all 
our  present  sufferings  and  sadnesses,  that 
ere  long  we  also  shall  go  to  that  place,  to 
that  city  above,  which  God  hath  prepared 
for  us.  Our  Lord  assures  us,  that  he  ivill 
*_'o?ne  again,  and  take  us  to  himself  that  where 
he  is,  we  may  be  also.]  O  !  could  we  believe 
this,  we  should  say,  Come,  Lord  jesus,  come 
quickly  ! 

Fourthly,  Our  faith  must  be  acted  upon 
the  work  that  Christ  will  do  for  us,  and  in 
as,  and  upon  lis  in  heaven  at  the  last.  It  is 
above  all  our  understandings  to  conceive 
what  glorious  works  Christ  will  do  for  us, 
and  in  us  at  the  last  day.  It  doth  not  yet  ap- 
pear what  we  shall  be.;|~  There  shall  be  a 
day  of  the  manifestation  of  the  sons  of  God.§ 
The  poor  despised  saints,  all  black  and  clou- 
dy here,  covered  with  shame  and  reproach 

*  Hcb.  xii.  23.  t  H^«  xi-  *6*  $  J°hn  ;ii-  2« 

§  Horn.  viii.  22,  23. 


115 


now,  shall  then  be  manifested  to  be  the  Lord's 
jewels  :'#  that  will  be  a  day  of  their  full  re- 
demption, both  of  soul  and  body,  their  wed- 
ding, and  their  solemn  coronation  day. f  Then 
their   blessed  Redeemer  shall  publicly  own 
them,' and  bid  them  welcome  to  his  Father's 
house,  saying,  Come  ye  blessed  of  my  Father, \ 
ike.  Then  will  Jesus  put  on  the  crown  of  glo- 
ry, of  righteousness,  and  of  life,  upon  their 
heads.     Then  will  Jesus  present  them. to  his 
Father  without  spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such 
tiling.^     Then  will  he  make  their  now  vile 
bodies,   (subject    now   to   vile    corruptions, 
to  vile  diseases,  to  vile  abuses,  and  to  a  vile 
dissolution  at  death)  like  unto  his  own  glori- 
ous body  ;**  and  their  souls  shall  be  like  to 
his,  to  their   full   satisfaction. ff     Then  the 
poor  disciples  of  Christ  shall  have  a  full  end 
put  to  all  tneir  heart-troubles,  sorrows,  fears, 
and  cares.      Then  their  hearts   shall  rejoice, 
and  their  joy  no  man  (nor  devil)  shall  take 
from  them.\\     Sorrow  and  sighing'  shall  fee 
away,  and  they  shall  enter  into  everlasting 
rest ;  and  into  that  unspeakable  blessed  state 
which  was  purchased  by  the  precious  blood 
of  Jesus,  and  by  him  prepared  and  possess- 

*  Mai.  iii.  17.  f  2  Tim.  iv.  8.  \  Matt.  xxv.  34. 
$Eph.  v.  27.  **  Phil.  iii.  31.  ||  Psal.  xvii.  15. 
jt  Johnxvi.  22. 


116 


ed,  in  our  names  and  steads.  All  our  dear 
relations  that  died  in  Jesus,  are  already  en- 
tered ;  Christ,  their  dearest  Lord,  hath 
wrought  this  glorious  work  on  their  souls 
already  ;  they  are  triumphing,  singing  halle- 
lujahs in  the  highest  heavens,  while  we  are 
fighting,  sighing  and  sobbing  here  below. 
They  are  with  blessed  Jesus  above,  accord- 
ing to  his  prayer  for  them,  seeing  his  glory, 
and  participating  of  it.^  Thus  much  for  the 
work  of  Christ,  upon  which  our  faith  must 
act,  that  our  hearts  may  not  be  troubled. 

Fifthly,  Our  faith  must  act  upon  the  will 
of  Christ,  in  order  to  the  preventing,  and 
curing  our  heart-troubles,  fears  and  sorrows. 
What  is  the  will  of  Christ?  It  is  his  will 
that  his  peoples'  hearts  should  not  be  troubled 
nor  afraid,  as  in  the  text :  it  is  his  will,  that 
in  the  world  they  should  have  tribulation,  but 
yet,  that  they  should  be  of  good  cheer,]  It 
is  his  will,  that  in  their  patience  they  should 
possess  their  souls,  and  not  faint  nor  be  dis- 
couraged. It  is  his  will  they  should  be  sanc- 
tified, and- that  all  their  afflictions  should 
promote  their  sanctification.  It  is  his  wilt, 
that  although  he  love  them,  yet  to  rebuke  and 
chasten  them ;  and  when  he   doth  so,  that 

*  John  xvi.  22,  24,  f  John  xvi.  33. 


nr 


they  should  be  zealous  and  repent.*  It  is 
his  will,  that  they  should  deny  themselves, 
take  up  their  cross  daily,  and  follow  hirru\ 
That  they  should  fear  none  of  those  things 
that  they  should  sujfer.i  That  they  should 
walk  in  his  steps,  hold  fast  to  the  end,  be 
faithful  unto  death.§  That  they  should 
overcome.  It  is  his  will,  that  they  should 
not  love  father  or  mother,  son  or  daughter, 
more  than  himself;  no,  nor  their  lives,  but 
be  willing  to  part  with  all  for  his  sake.** 
Yea,  it  is  his  will,  his  last  will,  that  all  his 
poor  disciples,  after  they  have  suffered 
awhile,  may  be  with  him  zvhere  he  is,  to  be- 
hold his  glory. \\  Thus  if  we  act  faith  upon 
the  will  of  Christ,  and  labour  to  yield  to  it, 
and  acquiesce  in  it,  we  shall  procure  much 
freedom  from  he  art- trouble. 

Lastly,  Our  faith  must  be  acted  upon  the 
ends  and  designs  of  Christ  in  all  his  afflic- 
tive providences  towards  us  ;  and  these  his 
ends  are  all  very  good  and  gracious.  This 
argument  he  himself  used,  to  cure  the  heart- 
troubles  of  his  disciples  for  his  departure 
from  them,  viz.  That  he  had  good  ends  in 
his  going  away  from  them  ;   his  end  was,  to 

•  1  Thess.  iv.  3.  Heb.  xii.  10.  Rev.  in.  19.  f  Matt. 
xxi.  24.  \  Rev.  ii.  10.  $  Matt.  x.  34.  *•  Luke 
xiv.  26.        ff  John  xvii.  24. 


118 


prepare  a  better  place  for  them,  a  better  place 
than  any  to  be  found  here  ;  a  place  in  hea- 
ven, in  the  Father's  house  :  and  his  end  was 
to  send  the  Spirit,  the  Comforter  unto  them, 
which  would  not  come,  if  he  did  not  go 
away,  John  xvi.  6,  7.  He  had  told  them 
of  his  going  away  from  them,  upon  which 
sorrow  had  filled  their  hearts,  (and  it  is  even 
so  with  us,  when  our  earthly  comforts  leave 
us,  sorrow  fills  our  hearts  ;)  but  to  cure  this, 
our  Lord  answers  them,  that  it  was  expedi- 
ent for  them,  (good  and  necessary  for  them) 
that  he  should  go  away,  shewing  them  his 
end  in  going  away,  to  wit,  that  he  might  send 
to  them  the  Comforter ;  he  would  remove 
from  them  a  great  mercy,  the  greatest  earth- 
ly mercy  that  ever  they  enjoyed,  which  was 
his  personal  presence  ;  they  must  part  with 
so  dear,  so  near,  so  sweet,  so  loving,  so  faith- 
ful a  friend,  as  himself  was  to  them  :  and 
could  there  be  a  greater  loss  ?  For  this,  sor- 
row had  filled  their  hearts  :  But  he  tells  them, 
it  was  to  make  way  for  a  greater  mercy, 
which  was,  to  send  them  the  Comforter,  in 
all  the  saving  and  miraculous  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  by  which  they  should  be  able  to 
do  greater  works  than  himself  did,  John  xiv. 
12,  which  was  a  greater  mercy  than  his  bodi- 
ly presence  with  them,  and  with  this  he  calms 
and  quiets  their  minds.     Now,   if  we  can 


119 


act  faith  upon  the  blessed  ends  of  Christ  in 
removing  our  earthly  comforts  from  us, 
which  are,  to  bestow  upon  us  better  mercies, 
to  give  us  more  of  his  spirit,  and  of  the 
graces  and  comforts  of  it,  our  hearts  would 
not  be  troubled :  could  we  believe,  that 
Christ's  end  in  all  his  chastisements,  is,  to 
prepare  us  for  that  place  in  his  Father's 
house,  it  would  comfort  and  support  us.  His 
ends  are  very  good,  and  that  should  quiet  us. 
So  long  as  the  people  of  Christ  enjoy  most 
of  the  comforts  of  this  world,  (I  speak  it  by 
sad  experience)  commonly  they  enjoy  least 
of  God,  and  of  his  spirit ;  and  usually,  when 
Christ  takes  awav  their  earthly  comforts, 
then  he  manifests  most  of  himself,  and  of  his 
tender  love  to  them  :  he  brings  them  into 
the  wilderness,  and  then  speaks  comfortably 
to  them ;  then  he  speaks  to  their  hearts,  and 
not  to  their  ears  only,  as  in  time  of  pros- 
perity ;  then  he  gives  out  most  of  the  graces 
and  comforts  of  his  spirit.  Christ  nevei 
takes  away  these  outward  mercies  from  his 
people,  but  with  design  to  bestow  better,  if 
our  discontent  and  unbelief  do  not  hinder. 
When  the  Lord  took  away  from  his  servant 
David  the  young  child  begotten  in  adultery, 
it  was  to  give  him  a  Solomon. 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  shew  what  it 
is  also  to  believe  in  Christ,  that  thereby  we 
may  prevent  and  cure  our  heart-trouble. 


120 

The  last  thing  I  have  to  do  is,  to  shew- 
how  faith  acted  thus  on  God  and  Christ,  or 
on  God  in  Christ,  is  the  best  preventive  of, 
and  remedy  to  cure  all  our  heart-troubles, 
which  hath  indeed  been  shewn,  partly  in  the 
two  former  particulars,  and  will  serve  for 
the  confirmation  of  the  point  also. 

Two  ways  principally  faith  acted  on  God 
and  Christ,  doth  effect  this  great  cure  of 
heart-trouble,  and  procure  heart's-ease. 

First,  By  way  of  application  and  appro- 
bation. 

Secondly,  By  way  of  holy  confidence  and 
reliance. 

First,  By  applying  and  appropriating  God 
and  Christ  to  the  soul,  and  all  that  God  is, 
and  all  that  Christ  is,  and  all  that  God  hath, 
and  all  that  Christ  hath,  and  all  that  God  and 
Christ  hath  promised  :  faith  applieth  and 
appropriates  all  this  to  the  soul ;  faith  gives 
the  soul  right,  title,  claim,  propriety  and  in- 
terest to,  and  in  God  and  Christ;  faith  makes 
all  the  believer's  own.  Believe,  and  all  is 
thine.  This  is  the  language  of  faith,  my 
God,  my  Lord,  my  Christ,  my  Saviour,  my 
Redeemer  ;*  and  this  quiets  and  satisfies 
the  soul  fully,  or  nothing  in  heaven  or  earth 
can  do  it ;   when  it  can  thus  act  its  faith  on 

*  Psal.  xix.  14. 


121 


God  and  Christ.  So  was  David  cured  of  his 
great  troubles,  1  Sam.  xxx.  6.  He  encoura- 
ged himself  in  the  Lord  his  God,  his  God  in 
Christ ;  so  in  that  pregnant  text,  2  Sam,  xxiii. 
5.  His  interest  in  God's  everlasting  cove- 
nant, (whereby  God  was  become  his  God  in 
Christ)  he  acted  his  faith  upon,  and  that  sa- 
tisfied him.*  So  Mich.  vii.  7.  Psal.  Ixxiii. 
25,  2G. 

Either  God  is  ours,  or  he  is  not ;  either 
Christ  is  ours,  or  he  is  not:  if  God  and 
Christ  be  not  ours,  we  have  cause  enough 
to  mind  our  danger,  and  to  be  troubled  at 
our  very  hearts,  that  we  are  in  such  a  case  ; 
and  should  now  above  all  things  labour  after 
an  interest  in  God  and  in  Christ  ;  whatever 
our  losses  in  the  world  be,  this  dangerous 
state  of  souls  should  be  most  minded,  and 
speedily  looked  after  above  all  things. 

But  if  God  be  ours  ;  and  if  Christ  be  ours ; 
if  we  have  chosen  God  for  our  portion  in 
Christ ;  and  if  we  have  rightly  and  truly  re- 
ceived Jesus  Christ  the  Lord,  for  our  only 
Lord  and  Saviour,  and  have  unfeignedly  given 
up  our  whole  selves  to  him  ;  then  may  we  act 
our  taith  upon  God,  as  our  God,   and  upon 

*  Psal.  xxxi.  14. 
L 


122 


Jesus  Christ  as  ours/*  and  may  claim  our 
right  in  God  and  in  Christ,  and  in  all  that 
God  and  Christ  is,  and  hath,  as  our  own  ; 
and  then,  what  cause  of  any  heart-trouble  ? 
If  God  be  ours,  if  Christ  be  ours,  all  is  ours, 
life  is  ours,  death  is  ours  :  what  if  we  want 
relations  and  friends,  honour,  wealth  and 
health  ;  is  not  the  all-sufficient  God  enough  ? 
Is  not  Jesus,  in  whom  dwells  all  fulness^ 
enough  to  supply  the  want  of  all  ?  This  God 
proposed  to  Abraham,  lam  thy  God;  and  to 
Israel,  Isa.  xli.  10.  Jesus  Christ  is  all,  and 
in  all ;  and  if  Christ  be  yours,  all  is  yours ; 
God  is  yours  ;  and  all  the  good  of  both 
worlds  are  yours ;  and  what  can  you  desire 
more  ? 

Secondly,  Faith  exercised  in  holy  confi- 
dence in,  and  reliance  upon  God,  and  Christ, 
and  the  promise,  will  prevent  or  cure  all 
our  heart- trouble.  David  was  cured  both 
these  ways,  PsaL  xxxi.  11,  12,  13,  14,  15, 
viz.  by  appropriating  God  to  himself,  and 
by  trusting  in  him,  I  trusted  in  thee,  0  Lord, 
I  said,  thou  art  my  God;]  for  God  is  pleas- 
ed to  engage  himself  to  discharge  those  souls 
from  heart-trouble  and  sinful  fear,  who  trust 

*  Psal.  cxix.  57.    Lam.  iii.  24.     John  i.  12.     Col.  ii . 
6.     Gen.  xvii.  1.     Col.  Ui.  11.     1  Cor.  m  22,  23. 
f  Psal,  xliii.  5. 


12; 


in  him,  PsaL  xxxvii.  40.  Trouble  doth  dis- 
order the  heart,  and  discompose  the  mind  ; 
but  faith  in  this  exercise  of  it,  trusting  in 
the  Lord,  doth  fix  and  settle  the  heart ;  so 
that  then  no  evil  tidings  shall  make  such  a 
person  afraid,  for  his  heart  is  fixed,  trusting 
in  the  Lord.*  God  hath  promised  to  keep 
them  in  perfect  peace,  whose  minds  are  stay- 
ed on  him,  because  they  trust  in  him,  Lsa. 
xxvi.  3. 

Diffidence  is  the  cause  of  all  disquiet ;  no 

true  rest  can  be  had,  nor  quiet  to  our  minds, 

but  by  confidence  in  God,   PsaL  ii.  12.     O 

the  blessedness  of  those  that  trust  in  Christ  ! 

God  in  Christ  is   the  only  fit  object  of  our 

confidence,  in  all  our  extremities.    A  believ- 

'  er  hath  a  God  to  go  to  in  all  his  troubles,  an 

\  Almighty  and  loving  Father  in  Christ ;  and 

I  this  should  be  our  comfort,   that  we  are  in 

I  covenant  with  him  that  rules  the  world,  and 

hath  committed  the  government  of  all  things 

to  his   Son,  our  dear  Redeemer^  who  hath 

bought  us  with  his  blood  ;   and  we   may  be 

sure  no  hurt  shall  befall  us  that  he  can  hinder; 

and   what  cannot  he    hinder,  who  hath  all 

power  in  heaven   and  earth  ?f  and  that  hath 

the  keys  of  hell  and  death,  unto  whom  we 

arc  so  near,  that  he   carries  our  names  on 

*  Psal.  cxii.  7.  f  Matt,  xxviii.  18. 


124 


his  heart,  and  who  will  in  his  due  time  make 
all  the  world  know,  that  his  people  are  as 
dear  to  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye. 

Trust  then,  depend  and  rely  upon  God  in 
Christ,  and  by  an  holy  confidence  resign 
up  your  wills  to  his  will,  to  do,  what  he 
would  have  us  do  ;  to  be,  what  he  would 
have  us  be ;  to  suffer,  what  he  would  have 
us  suffer  ;  and  then  heart- trouble  will  cease, 
and  sweet  peace  cometh  :  when  having  trust- 
ed all  with  God,  we  can  in  heart  say,  Lord, 
if  thou  wilt  have  me  poor,  disgraced,  impri- 
soned, diseased,  deprived  of  my  dearest 
friends,  I  am  content  to  be  so  ;  I  trust  all 
my  concerns  with  thee  :  O  the  sweet  peace 
and  quiet  that  will  be  in  that  soul ! 

There  is  the  all-mightiness,  the  wisdom, 
goodness,  love,  mercy,  and  faithfulness  of 
God  in  Christ  for  us,  to  trust  in,  and  to 
rely  upon,  a  bottom  and  foundation  strong 
enough  to  build  our  confidence  upon,  in  all 
storms  and  streights  ;  God  hath  also  made 
many  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises^ 
and  not  a  naked  promise,  but  he  hath  enter- 
ed into  covenant  with  us,  founded  upon  full 
satisfaction  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  and  con- 
firmed  it  with  an  oath  :#  and  to  this  cove- 

*  Heb,  vi.  1?. 


12J 


rant,  sealed  by  the  blood  of  his  Son,  he  hath 
added  the  seals  of  the  sacraments  ;  and  all 
this,  that  the  heirs  of  the  promises,  namely, 
all  true  believers,  might  have  strong  conso- 
rt, and  be  cured  of  all  their  heart- 
troubles. 

Upon  this  sure  foundation  then  must  our 
faith  act  in  an  holy  confidence  in  God,  and 
in  Christ ;  the  soul  being  taken  off  from  all 
other  objects,  carried  out  of  self,  unto  God 
and  Christ ;  who  presently  (as  soon  as  trust- 
ed in)  communicate  themselves,  and  their 
love,  and  ooodness  to  the  soul,  filling  it  with 
peace,  strength,  and  settlement.  By  this 
trusting  in  God,  we  honour  God  most,  and 
best  provide  for  our  own  safety. 

This  way  then,  whereby  faith  quieteth  the 
soul,  and  cures  it  of  its  troubles,  is  by  raising 
it  above  all  disquietments,  and  settling  it 
solelv  upon  God  in  Christ,  and  thereby 
uniting  it  to  God  in  Christ ;  from  whence  it 
draws  virtue  and  strength,  to  subdue  what- 
ever troubleth  its  peace.  For  the  soul  is 
made  for  God,  and  never  finds  rest,  till  it 
return  unto,  and  settle  and  centre  itself  up- 
on him  again.  And  that  we  may  thus  place 
our  confidence  in  God  and  Christ  for  all  sup- 
.  .  e  must  most  certainly,  earnestly  beg, 
cry,  i     I  to  God  for  grace  and  strength 

so' to  do  ;  we  must  trust  in  God  alone  for  all 
l  2 


126 


things,  and  at  all  times  ;  and  thus  by  appro- 
priating God  to  us,  and  Christ  to  us,  and 
placing  our  confidence  in  them,  we  may  be 
cured  of  all  our  heart-troubles. 

APPLICATION. 

I.  For  information.  These  inferences  fol- 
low. 

First,  If  faith  acted  upon  God  in  Christ 
be  such  a  remedy  against  heart-trouble,  then 
surely,  faith  is  a  very  precious,  a  very  excel- 
lent thing  ;  a  grace  of  very  great  worth  and 
value,  and  of  great  use  and  efficacy  :  it  is  pre- 
cious faith  indeed,  the  very  trial  of  it  is  more 
precious  than  gold.*  Precious  for  its  author, 
the.  Lord  Jesus  ;f  for  its  object,  precious  Je- 
sus, and  all  the  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises,  the  purchased  inheritance  :$  for 
Its  offices,  it  unites  us  to  Christ,  gives  us 
title  eternal  life  ;§  it  supports  under  all 
afflictions  ;  prevents  or  cures  all  heart-trou- 
bles ;  and  precious  for  its  end,  which  is  the 
salvation  of  our  souls. ^* 

This  grace  of  faith  is  of  a  transforming, 
spiritual  nature  :  and  the  soul  of  a  believer, 
by  acting  it  on  God  and  Christ,  and  on  divine, 
heavenly  and   spiritual  things,  becomes  di- 

*  2  Pet.  i.  1.  1  Pet.  i.  7.  t  Heb.  xii.  1.  \  John, 
i.  12.  Eph.  iii.  17.        **  Heb.  xi.    1  Pet.  i.  9. 


V2Y 


vine,  heavenly  and  spiritual.  Faith  unfast- 
eneth  the  heart  frotn  the  creature,  shewing 
soul  the  vanity  of  it,  and  carries  the  soul 
unto  God  and  Christ,  shewing  it  God's  all- 
sufficiency,  and  Christ's  all-fullness  :  for 
faith  believes  what  God  in  his  word  hath  re- 
vealed of  both.  It  is  the  great  design  of  God, 
in  all  the  troubles  he  sends  upon  his  people, 
effectually  to  teach  them  the  exceeding  vanity 
of  the  creature,  to  embitter  the  things  of  this 
world  to  them,  to  wean  their  hearts  from 
them,  to  bring  earthly  things  out  of  request 
with  them,  to  make  them  see,  that  there  is  no 
true  contentment,  nor  solid  satisfaction  for* 
the  soul,  to  be  found  in  them,  and  to  make 
them  see  where  true  happiness  and  content- 
ment is  to  be  had ;  even  in  God  and  in  Christ 
alont,  for  whom  their  souls  Mere  created, 
redeemed  and  sanctified.*  Now  the  great 
work  of  faith,  is  to  take  off  the  soul  from  the 
creature,  and  fix  and  settle  it  upon  God  and 
Christ,  the  true  foundation.  Naturally  our 
hearts  hang  loose  from  God,  and  cleave  to 
the  creature,  and  when  the  creature  fails, 
our  hearts  are  troubled :  but  faith  takes  oft 
the  heart  from  the  creature,  and  settles  it  up- 
on God  in  Christ,  where  it  finds  rest ;  and 
this  is  the  great  service  it  doth  us.     All  the 

•  Psal.  iv.  5.    Isa.  xiiii.  21.     Tit.  ii.  14. 


128 

great  and  famous  things  which  those  wor- 
thies did,  and  all  the  hard  and  heavy  things 
they  suffered,  mentioned  in  Heb.  xi.  were 
all  done  and  suffered  by  the  power  of  faith, 
ver.  37,  &c.  The  settling  of  our  hearts  up- 
on God  in  Christ,  trusting  all  there,  is  the 
best  means  to  cure  our  heart-trouble  :  and 
this  faith  doth,  and  therefore  it  is  precious. 

Secondly,  It  follows  from  the  premises, 
that  the  want  of  faith  in  God,  and  in  Christ, 
is  the  great  cause  of  all  our  heart-troubles, 
despondencies  and  disquietness.  Could  we 
but  act  our  faith  strongly  on  God  and  Christ, 
as  our  God  in  Christ,  our  troubles  would  be 
prevented  or  cured :  for  by  faith  the  soul 
looks  up  to  God  in  Christ,  through  the 
promises,  looking  off  from  all  other  supports, 
unto  God  for  all  supplies,  for  the  removing 
of  all  evil  felt  or  feared,  and  for  the  obtaining 
of  all  good  promised  and  needed  ;  and  by 
this  exercise  of  faith,  the  soul  is  raised  up 
above  all  discouragements  and  disquiet- 
menta:  but  where  this  faith  is  wanting  or 
the  lively  exercise  of  it  suspended,  there  the 
soul  sinks  under  heart-troubles.  But  of  this 
something  was  said  before. 

Thirdly,  Hence  also  we  may  clearly  see 
the  absolute  necessity  of  getting  faith  in  God, 
and  in  Christ ;  and  of  acting  it,  and  living 


129 


by  it  :  there  is  no  living  quietly  and  com- 
fortably without  it,  no  standing  under  our 
burthens,  no  bearing  with  patience  and  cheer- 
fulness our  losses  and  crosses  without  this 
faith  :  no  joy  and  peace,  but  by  believing  : 
by  faith  we  stand. # 

Fourthly,  Then  the  things  of  the  world  are- 
notto  be  trusted  to,  nor  trusted  in,  for  com- 
fort in  time  of  trouble.  Nothing  but  God  and 
Christ  to  be  trusted  in,  and  trusted  to  ;  and 
there  is  enough  in  them  to  support  and  com- 
fort us,  as  hath  been  shewn  :  but  no  confi- 
dence to  be  put  in  the  creature  ;f  there  is  a 
curse  upon  such  confidence,  but  a  blessing 
upon  them  that  trust  in  God  :  no  trusting 
in  friends  4  riches,  gifts,  or  any  thing:  for 
so  to  do,  is  idolatry,  to  give  that  to  the  crea- 
ture, which  is  due  to  God  alone. 

Fifthly,  Hence  we  see  the  reason  why  so 
many  faint  in  the  day  of  adversity,  and  sink 
under  trouble:  and  others  use  unlawful 
means  to  prevent  trouble,  or  to  get  out  of  it : 
it  is,  because  they  want  this  faith  in  God 
and  Christ :  and  for  want  of  it,  too  many 
miscarry  under  affliction. 

The  second  use  is  by  way  of  exhortion  to 
all  the  disciples  of  Christ,  in  the  words  of  the 

•  Rom.  xv.  13.       f  Jer.  ix.  4.      \  Mich.  vii.  4,  5. 


13.0 

text ;  Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled,  but 
believe  in  God,  and  believe  in  Christ :  You 
must  get  and  act  faith  in  God  and  Christ, 
this  is  the  only  preventative,  the  only 
remedy  against  heart-trouble.  Our  Lord 
in  this  text  commands  and  commends  it  :* 
we  must  needs  get  faith,  for  we  cannot 
have  Christ  without  faith  :f  go  to  God  for 
it,  is  his  work,  his  gift,  yea,  it  is  his  opera- 
tion ;  yea,  the  same  power  that  raised  up 
Jesus  from  the  dead  must  be  put  forth  upon 
a  soul  to  work  faith,  Eplu  i.  19,  20.  The 
exceeding  great  and  mighty  working  of  the 
power  of  God,  to  raise  up  the  soul  to  Christ, 
and  to  enable  it  to  lay  hold  on  God  and 
Christ :  For  such  is  our  natural  pronenees 
to  live  by  sense  and  carnal  reason,  and  such 
is  the  most  transcendent  excellency  of  God 
and  Christ,  and  of  divine  things,  which  faith 
looks  unto  :  and  so  great  an  inclination  have 
we  to  self-sufficiency,  and  so  much  rooted  in 
self-love,  and  inordinate  love  of  the  creature, 
and  so  hard  to  take  off  the  soul  from  false 
bottoms;  and  because  we  are  such  strangers 
to  God  naturally  ;  and  because  there  is  so 
much  guilt  of  sin  still  remaining  on  us,  by 
our  renewed  provocations,  that  we  are  afraid 

*Johnvi.29.         JEph.  ii.  8.     Col  ii.  21, 


131 


to  entertain  serious  thoughts  of  God:  and 
because  of  that  infinite  distance  between  God 

and  us,  we  can  never  come  to  behe\  o  in  him, 
and  rely  upon  him,  until  our  hearts  be  renew- 
ed by  the  power  of  grace,  and  this  divine 
grace  of  faith  infused  into  them:  therefore  we 
must  go  to  God  and  Christ,  and  put  up  strong- 
cries  and  prayers  to  God  to  work  faith  in  us, 
and  never  give  over,  until  it  be  wrought  in 
us. 

And  having  got  faith,  we  must  act  and  ex- 
ercise it  upon  God  in  Christ;  upon  God,  I 
say  :  he  only  is  the  object  of  faith,  and  is 
worthy  of  it:  for  a  man  can  be  in  no  condi- 
tion in  which  God  is  at  a  loss,  and  cannot 
help  him  :  if  comforts  and  means  of  delive- 
rance be  wanting,  God  can  create  comforts, 
and  command  deliverance,  Isa.  Ivii.  19.  He 
can  bring  light  out  of  darkness,  PsaL  cxii.  to 
him  all  things  are  possible. 

1.  Then  faith  assents  to,  and  is  persuaded 
that  there  is  a  God,  the  infinite,  first  and  best 
being  of  all  things,  and  who  giveth  being  to 
ail  things,  IJtb.  xi.  6. 

2.  That  in  this  blessed  being  are  three 
persons,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  and 
all  the  object  of  our  faith. 

3.  I  :  it  always  act  on  God  in  Christ, 

vise  ,•  tor  in  Christ,  God  recon- 


132 


dies  the  world.*  In  Christ,  God  becomes 
our  friend,  at  peace  with  us  ;  by  Christ,  the 
enmity  between  God  and  us,  is  taken  away  ; 
in  Christ,  God  becomes  our  Father,  John  i. 
12.  Gal.  iii.  26. 

4.  Faith  is  acted  by  meditating  on,  con- 
sidering of,  and  applying,  and  appropriating 
of  God  in  Christ  to  the  soul,  laying  claim  to 
all  that  Cod  hath,  as  its  own. 

5.  It  must  also  act  upon  the  promises  of 
God  in  his  word,  and  Christ  in  them  :  God 
hath  opened  all  his  heart  to  us  in  his  word, 
making  many  sweet  promises,  exceeding 
great  and  precious  promises :]  and  also  he 
hath  made  a  covenant  of  grace  with  us,  to 
bestow  himself,  and  all  good  things  upon  us, 
upon  which  we  must  live,  until  promises  end 
in  performances.:):  These  promises  are  our 
spiritual  treasury  :  promises  of  pardon  of 
sin,  upon  repentance  and  faith ;  promises  of 
renewing,  sanctifying  grace  ;  promises  of 
the  spirit,  of  heaven,  of  eternal  life  and  glory, 
of  mansions  in  the  Father's  house,  and  of  all 
things  needful  in  the  way  to  the  kingdom, 
that  we  shall  want  no  good  thing,  and  that 
all  things  shall  work  together  for  our  good, 
&c. 

*2Cor.  v.  19.  Col.  i.  21.  f2Pet.i.  4.  $Jar. 
xxxi.     Heb.  viii. 


IO  (J 


Lastly,  That  our  hearts  may  not  be  trou- 
bled, but  fully  satisfied  and  comforted,  we 
must  by  faith  lay  hold  on  God,*  take  hold  of 
God's  strength,  which  is  his  mercy  in  Christ ; 
and  most  solemnly,  most  considerately,  and 
most  sincerely  take  God  for  God  in  Christ, 
and  actually  enter  into  covenant  with  him  :f 
this  covenant  is  founded  upon  Jesus  Christ, 
his  satisfaction  and  righteousness:  and  there- 
fore we  must  also  believe  in  Christ,  taking 
him  for  our  only  Lord  and  Saviour,  receiv- 
ing him  by  faith  as  he  is  offered  to  us  in  the 
gospel,  to  be  all  in  all  to  us. 

As  God  offers,  so  faith  receives  ;  God  re- 
ceives him  :  God  doth,  as  it  were,  say  io 
the  gospel,  O  poor  lost  sinner !  come  to  my 
son  Jesus,  lake  him  for  thy  only  Lord  and 
Saviour,  and  by  him  come  to  me,  and  take 
me  for  thy  God  and  Father:  and  by  faith 
the  poor  believer  echoeth  back,  Mij  Lord 
and  mij  God,  I  humbly  and  heartily  come  to 
thee,  accept  of  thee,  close  with  thee,  and  so 
by  faith  ttir  believing  soul  becomes  one  with 
God  and  Christ ;  and  hereupon  the  soul  by 
faith  cleaves  to  God  and  Christ,  and  tmfeign- 
edly,  and  unreservedly  gives  up  its  who!.- 
self  to  God  in  Christ,  taking  God  in  Christ 

*  Isa.  Ivi.5.  f  Isa.xxvii.  4.         Jer,  xxxi.32. 

2  Cor.  vi.  18. 

M 


134 


for  his,  and  entirely  surrenders  up  itself  to 
be  the  Lord's.  My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I 
am  his.  Now  faith  thus  acted,  will  certainly 
cure  all  our  heart-troubles. 

In  order  then  to  obtain  solid  comfort  in  all 
our  distresses,  let  us  carefully  look  whether 
these  acts  of  faith  have  really  passed  upon 
our  souls :  have  we  thus  actually,  under- 
standingly,  and  sincerely  believed  in  God, 
and  in  Christ .?  Have  we  unfeignediy  enter- 
ed into  covenant  with  God  in  Christ,  by  our 
being  his  ?  If  we  be  entirely  his,  he  is  ours 
for  certain,  1  John  iv.  19.  Cant.  ii.  16.  If 
we  place  all  our  happiness  in  him,  Psal.  lxx. 
ii.  25.  If  we  give  him  the  throne  in  our 
hearts,  subjecting  our  whole  selves  to  his 
government,  making  God  in  Christ  all  our 
love,  our  trust,  joy,  delight,  fear,  our  all ; 
cleaving  to  him  alone  and  above  all,  depend- 
ing upon  him  as  our  chief  good:  contenting 
ourselves  with  him  as  all-sutiicient  for  us,  re- 
signing up  ourselves  to  his  good  will,  to  be, 
to  do,  and  suffer  what  he  will :  if  we  can  and 
do  engage  ourselves  to  sincere  obedience, 
that  none  of  his  commandments  be  grievous 
to  us  :  if  in  all  things  we  give  Christ  the 
pre-eminence  ;  if  we  have  received  the  spirit 
of  Christ,  as  Rom.  viii.  9.  Gal.  iv.  6.  1  Cor. 
vi.  17,  which  joins  us  to  him,  and  makes  us 
one  spirit  with  him,  and  which  is  the  spirit 


Oi  adoption,  whereby  the  soul  seeing  his  in- 
terest in  God  as  his  Father,  can  freely  go  to 
God  in  all  its  straights.  If  we  have  the 
graces  of  the  spirit,  as  iovCj  meekness,  pati- 
ence, humility,  he,  If  we  have  a  resem- 
blance of  our  Father  in  us,  a  likeness  of  dis- 
position to  God  in  Christ,  the  image  of  God, 
the  life  of  Christ  manifest  in  us  :*  If  we  do 
own  God  and  his  cause,  in  evil  times,  so 
that  we  are  willing  to  part  with  any  thing, 
with  all  things  for  Christ's  sake,  and  at  his 
call:  if  it  be  thus  with  us  in  the  main  bent  and 
constant  frame  of  our  hearts,  and  in  the  sin- 
cerity and  integrity  of  our  souls,  our  con- 
sciences in  the  sight  of  God  bearing  us  wit- 
ness,! that  thus  it  is  with  us,  then  may  we 
upon  good  grounds  conclude,  that  God  the 
all-sufficient  God  is  ours,  and  that  our  hearts 
should  not  be  troubled  ;  and  to  prevent  and 
cure  all  our  heart-trouble  we  must  act  faith 
on  all  those  things,  in  God  and  in  Christ, 
which  I  mentioned  before,  and  which  would 
be  too  long  to  repeat  again  here  ;  therefore 
I  earnestly  desire  you  to  look  back,  and  view 
over  those  several  particular  things  consid- 
erable in  God  and  in  Chrisr,  and  believe 
in   God    and    in    Christ,   applying  and   ap- 

*  2  Cor.  iv.  10,  11.     Gal.  ii.  20.      fljohniii.  2L 


136 


propriating  them  to  ourselves,  and  we  shall 
see  we  have  no  cause  of  heart-trouble.  If 
the  great  God  be  ours,  if  we  have  no  hus- 
bands nor  wives,  nor  sons  or  daughters,  nor 
health,  nor  wealth,  we  have  enough  to  con- 
tent and  satisfy  our  souls  for  ever. 

But  to  draw  to  a  conclusion  :  that  there 
may  be  an  effectual  cure  of  all  our  heart- 
trouble,  whatever  our  distress  may  be,  let 
us  labour  to  act  faith  on  Christ,  in  consider- 
ing and  believing 

1.  What  he  is. 

2.  Where  he  is. 

3.  What  he  h'ath  declared. 

4.  Wrhat  he  hath  promised  ;  and  all  with- 
in the  confines  of  this  text,  Ver.  2,  3. 

Firsts  Let  Christ's  disciples  labour  to  be- 
lieve what  Christ  is,  and  who  he  is.  He 
himself  asked  his  disciples  this  question, 
Matt.  xvi.  16.  Whom  say  ye  that  I  am? 
Peter  answered,  thou  art  Christ  the  son  of 
the  living  God:  I  knoiv  in  whom  J  have  be- 
lieved, saith  the  apostle. *  and  that  support- 
ed him:  and  for  this  knowledge  of  Jesus 
Christ  his  Lord,  he  counted  all  things  but 
dungj  and  dross.  To  believe  all  things  that 
are  written  of  Christ,  is  not  enough  ;  but  to 
believe  in  him,  is  by  faith  to  receive  him  for 

*  2  Tim.  i.  12.  f  P^il.  iii.  9. 


137 


our  only  Lord  and  Saviour,  John  i.  12. 
Col.  ii.  6,  and  actually,  unreservedly,  unfeign- 
edly,  and  heartily  to  give  up  our  whole  selves 
unto  him,  taking  him  for  our  absolute  Lord, 
our  head,  our  treasure,  and  our  all ;  and  be- 
lieving, He  is  all  that  to  us  that  he  is.  That 
he  was  made  sin  for  us,  made  ivisdom,  righte- 
ousness, sanctif  cation  and  redemption  to  us* 
That  he  is  indeed  our  husband,  our  head, 
our  high-priest,  our  surety,  our  ransom,  our 
Redeemer.  That  he  hath  loved  us,  and  wash- 
ed  us  in  his  blood.  That  he  was  delivered  up 
to  death  for  our  offences,  and  rose  again  for 
our  justification.  That  he  hath  made  our 
peace  with  God  by  the  blood  of  his  cross  ; 
and  purchased  our  pardon,  and  an  inheritance 
for  us  with  the  saints  in  light ;  and  that  by 
believing  in  him,  we  shall  have  everlasting 
life,  John  iii.  16,  36.  I  say,  this  is  to  believe 
in  Christ  ;  and  such  as  thus  believe  in  him, 
have  no  cause  of  heart-trouble.  And  thus 
we  must  believe  in  him,  1  John  iii.  22, 
and  the  positive  command  of  Christ  him- 
self in  the  text,  Believe  also  in  me.  And 
he  that  hath  this  faith,  hath  Christ,  1  John 
v.  10,  12,  and  hath  life,  eternal  life.  John 
vi.  47.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  (saith 
Christ,  the  eternal  truth  himself)  he  that 
believeth  in  ?nc,  hath  everlasting  h  ;.  He 
M  M 


138 


hath  it  in  the  price  of  it,  that  was  punc- 
tually paid  down  upon  the  cno  >re 
called  the  pure  .. :  .  he  hath  eter- 
nal life  in  the  promises  of  it ;  it  is  promised 
to  every  one  that  believeth  ;  God  that  can- 
not lie,  hath  promised  it.  Tit.  i.  1,  2,  and  he 
hath  it  in  the  first-fruits  of  it,  the  saving 
graces  of  the  spirit,  which  in  some  measure 
every  true  believer  hath,  2  Cor.  v.  5.  Eph, 
i.  13,  14. 

Now,  he  that  thus  believes  in  Christ, 
Christ  is  his  ;  and  all  that  Christ  hath  done, 
and  suffered,  and  merited,  is  his  ;  he  hath 
right  and  title  to  it ;  for  by  faith  he  is  be- 
come the  child  of  God,  Gal.  iih  26.  We  are 
all  tlie  children  of  God  by  faith  in  fesus 
Christ,  And  if  we  be  Chris  fs,  then  are  zve 
heirs  of  the  promise,  Gal.  iii.  2,9.  Yea, 
heirs  of  God,  and  joint  heirs  with  C'irist, 
Rom.  viii.  1 7.  Yea,  then,  all  things  are  oars, 
1  Cor.  iii.  21,  22,  23.  All  is  ours,  if  we  be 
Christ's,  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or 
Cephas.  All  the  gifts,  graces,  labours,  pray- 
ers, qt  all  gospel  ministers,  all  gospel  ordi- 
nances are  designed  for  our  good,  Eph:  iv. 
11,  12,  13,  for  the  gathering  of  us  in,  and 
for  the  perfecting  and  building  of  us  up  in 
Christ  Jesus,  until  we  all  come  to  heaven. 
The  world  is  ours  ;  the  good  and  evil  of  it, 
the  bitter  and  the  sweet  of  it,  the   comforts 


139 


and  the  crosses  of  it,  the  gains  and  the  losses 
of  it,  the  love  and  the  hatred  of  it,  the  smiles 
and  the  frowns,  the  friends  and  foes  in  it; 
all  is  designed  for,  and  shall  further  and  pro- 
mote our  spiritual  and  eternal  welfare.  Life 
is  ours.  All  the  troubles,  sicknesses,  pains, 
evil  tidings,  persecutions,  disappointments, 
losses  of  relations,  shame,  reproach,  or  what- 
ever attends  this  mortal  life,  shall  be  sancti- 
fied and  blessed  to  us  for  our  good.  Yea, 
death  is  ours,  that  shall  be  our  advantage, 
our  gain,  that  shall  put  a  full  end  and  period 
to  all  our  sin  and  suffering,  and  be  a  door  of 
entrance  for  us  into  glory  in  oar  Father's 
house  :  or  things  present :  our  present  fears. 
sorrows,  miseries,  infirmities,  &c.  shall  be  so 
ordered  and  over-ruled  bv  the  wisdom  and 
love  of  our  Father,  that  they  shail  all  help  us 
onward  to  heaven  :  and  things  to  come  are 
ours:  all  that  glorv  to  be  revealed,  that 
saints  everlasting  rest  that  is  prepared  for 
the  people  of  God,  that  crown  of  righteous- 
ness, of  glory,  and  of  life:  that  kingdom  of 
£lory,  that  unspeakable,  that  inconceivable 
state  of  happiness  and  blessedness  which 
Christ  our  Lord  hath  purchased  by  his-bluod, 
ul  this  is  ours  also*  But  how  come  we  to 
rave  a  right  and  title  to  all  this  ?  Why  saith 
he  apostle  thus  ;  Te  arc  Christ's,  and  Qhrtst 
GhcPs.     As  sure  as  Christ  is  God's, 


140 

sure,  if  you  be  Christ's,  all  is  yours  :  and  as 
I  havt  proved,  if  we  be  true  believers  in 
Christ,  then  we  are  Christ's,  we  are  his 
members,  his  spouse,  his  children,  and  then, 
what  cause  have  we  to  be  troubled  at  any 
thing,  or  in  any  condition  ?  What  cause  hath 
such  a  soul  to  be  dejected,  what  ever  crosses 
or  losses  do  befall  him  ?  Is  there  not  enough 
in  Christ,  in  the  promises,  in  the  purchase  of 
Christ?  Is  there  not  enough  in  heaven,  in 
all  that  glory  to  quiet,  content,  and  fully  sat- 
isfy our  souls  ?  O  my  beloved,  (and  O  my 
base  and  faithless  heart !)  It  is  our  base  un- 
belief that  does  all  the  mischief,  that  spoils 
our  peace,  that  hinders  our  comfort,  and 
makes  us  walk  so  heavily.  O  let  us  bewail  this 
God-dishonouring  sin,  this  peace-destroying 
sin  :  and  let  us,  who  have  received  Jesus  for 
our  Lord  and  Saviour,*  believe  that  he  is 
ours  indeed,  and  then  act  our  faith  upon  him, 
and  our  hearts  shall  not  be  troubled. 

^uest.  But  may  some  say,  it  is  true  if 
Christ  be  ours,  all  is  ours,  we  believe  that ; 
but  how  shall  we  know  that  Christ  is  ours  ? 

Ansxu.  Briefly  thus :  if  we  be  Christ's  en- 
tirely, and  sincerely  Christ's,  then  Christ  is 
ours  :  lam  my  beloved's  and  my  beloved  is 
mine^  Cant,  ii.  16.  chap,  vi.  3.     Her  being 

*  coi.  ii.  6,  r. 


141 


Christ's,  was  a   sure  evidence    to  her  that 
Christ  was  hers.     Now,  it  is  not  very  hard 
to   know    whose    we    are,    whether    we    be 
Christ's  or  our  own,  Christ's  or  the  world's, 
Christ's  or  the  devil's  :  let  us  take  a  little 
pains  in  trying  and  searching  ourselves,  the 
matter  requires  it :   whose  we  are  ?   Put  this 
question  seriously  to  our  heart,  in  the  sight 
of  God  :   whose  am  I  ?   whose  image  do   I 
bear  I   By  whose  spirit   am  I  acted  i   Who 
hath  my  heart,  my  chief  love  and  delight  ? 
Have  we  unfeignedly  given  up  ourselves  to 
Christ  I   Have  we  actually  entered  into  cov- 
anant  with  him,  and  taken  him  for  our  head 
and    husband  ?    Have   we   passed   over   and 
surrendered  up  our  whole  selves  to  Christ, 
our  souls,  bodies,  all  our  concerns  ?   Have 
we   given    up   our    hearts,   heads,    tongues, 
time,  talents,  estates,  liberties,  relations,  and 
all  to  Cnrist  i    Have  we  done  this  sincerely  ? 
i  Then   we    have    received    Christ    upon   his 
|  terms.      If  we  be  Christ's  and  not  our  own, 
and  live  unto  Christ,  and  not  to  ourselves, 
Rom.   xiv.   y.      1    Cor.  vi.  20.     Gal.  ii.  20, 
and  are  content  that  Christ  should  dispose 
of  us  and  ours  as  he  pleaseth ;  and  are  al- 
ways labouring  to  be  more  and  more  like 
him,  and  still  longing  for   more  and   more 
communion  with  him,  Stc.  then  may  we  up- 


142 


on  good  grounds,  conclude  Christ  is  ours  J 
.Tfwe  be  his,  he  is  ours. 

Again,  if  we  truly  believe  in  Christ,  then 
he  is  ours ;  for  it  is  by  faith  that  we  receive 
him,  and  are  united  to  him,  and  made  one 
with  him,  John  i.  12,  13,  and  are  by  his 
spirit  and  word  regent  rated,  and  made  new 
creatures  :  and  are  enabled  to  walk  after  the 
spirit,  and  not  after  the  flesh,  2  Cor.  v.  17. 
Rom.  viii.  I,  2.  He  that  believeth,  hath  the 
witness  in  himself,  1  John  v.  10,  he  need 
not  go  far  to  seek  :  make  sure  thy  believing 
in  Christ,  and  thou  hast  the  witness  in  thy- 
self that  he  is  thine,  and  thou  art  his. 

truest*  But  how  shall  we  kno^that  we 
have  true  faith,  and  that  we  do  truly  believe 
in  Christ  ? 

Answ.  Briefly  thus  :  if  we  have  been  made 
sensible  of  our  lost  condition  by  nature,  of 
our  misery  by  sin,  of  our  unbelief;  if  we 
have  found  it  an  hard  work  to  believe  ;  if  we 
have  been  made  weary  and  heavy  laden  with 
sin,  so  as  to  be  truly  willing  to  part  with  all 
sin  ;  if  we  have  been  convinced  of  our  abso- 
lute need  of  Christ,  and  of  his  incomparable 
excellency,  of  his  all-sufficiency,  and  willing- 
ness to  save  us  ;*  if  these  convictions  have 

*  John  xvi.  8.  Eph.  i.  17,  IB.  Rev.  iii.  17.  Matt. 
xi.  28.  1  Pet.  ii.7.  Acts  xx.  21.  John  vi.  57.  John 
vii,  37.    Matt.  xvi.  34.     Col.  ii.  6. 


143 


been  powerful  in  us  to  drive  us  from  our-» 
seives,  and  the  creature,  and  sin  ;  it  we  have 
hereupon    been  persuaded  and  enabled   sin- 
cerely to  come  unto  Christ  upon  his  call  in 
the  gospel,  to  accept  of  him  upon  his  terms, 
and  to  receive  him,   as  he   is   offered  in  the 
gospel ;  if  our  whole  hearts  have  opened  to 
him,  and  closed  with  him,  and  we  have  given 
up  ourselves  entirely  to  him,  and  taken  him 
ior  our  only  Lord  and  Saviour,  as  the  only 
way  to   God,  and  do  most  sincerely  resign 
up  ourselves   to  his  government,    trusting  in 
him  alone,  and  relying  upon  him  for  life  and 
righteousness,  lor  grace  and  glory  ,#  then  we 
do  believe  in  him,    then   have  we   this  true 
faith,  which  is  farther   to  be  known  thus  : 
that  it  worketh  in  us  true  sincere  love  to  him, 
and  to  all  that  is  his,  his  word,  his  people  ; 
your  hearts  will  run  out  after  him,  all  your 
affections    will   centre    in   him.     This    true 
faith  draws  virtue  from  Cnrist  to  purify  the 
heart,  and  work  sanctiticatioii  and   holiness; 
it  doth  crucify  your  affections  to  the  world, 
it  works  true   repentance,  and   enables   you 
to  overcome  the   world,f  and  to  realize  the 

*Johnxiv.  6.  Matt,  xi  29.  John  i.  14,  16.  John 
iii.  16,  36.  Gal.v.  6.  1  John  v.  1.  Psal.  cxix.  97. 
Acts  xv.  9.  xxvi.  18.  Gal.  li.  20.  f  Jonn  v-  4-  Heb* 
xi,  1,    Eph.i.  13.    Ps.  16.    Rem  xi.  20.  2  Cor.  v.  7- 


144 


glory  of  heaven,  and  to  bear  us  up  under  all 
the  troubles  in  our  way  thither,  as  in  the 
xiith  chapter  to  the  Hebrews,  enabling  us  to 
trust  and  betrust  our  souls  and  bodies,  and 
all  our  concernments  with  Christ :  by  this 
faith  we  shall  stand,  by  it  we  walk,  by  it  we 
live,  and  hold  on,  and  hold  out  in  following 
the  lamb  to  the  end  of  our  life.^ 

Now  certainly,  he  that  thus  believes  in  j 
Christ,  hath  no  cause  of  heart-trouble,  but 
quietly  submits  to  the  good  will  and  pleasure 
of  his  God  in  Christ,  under  all  the  dispensa- 
tions of  his  providence,  while  he  is  under 
this  vale  of  tears,  until  he  come  to  his  Fa- 
ther's house  in  peace,  where  he  shall  meet 
his  dearest  Lord,  and  an  hearty  welcome. 
O  !  this  faith,  this  precious  faith  in  Christ 
will  conquer  all  our  base  fears,  moderate  all 
our  worldly  sorrows,  ease  our  minds  per- 
plexed with  earthly  cares,  and  quiet  our  dis- 
turbed and  distracted  thoughts  about  out- 
ward losses  and  troubles  :  by  this  faith  we 
shall  find  all  our  losses  made  up  in  God  and 
in  Christ :  then  labour  for  it,  cry  mightily 
to  God  for  this  great  gift ;  cry  to  Jesus  for 
it,  he  is  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  it  ;f 
arid  labour  to  act  it  upon  him  continually, 
and  your  hearts  shall  not  be  troubled. 

9  Heb  x.  38,  f  Heb.  xi.  h 


145 


I  dare  affirm,  that  if  any  thing  brings 
heart's  ease  in  heart-trouble,  this  will  do  it. 
So  long  as  our  faith  holds  up  in  act  and  ex- 
ercise upon  Christ,  we  shall  be  free  from 
heart-trouble  ;  but  when  our  faith  fails,  our 
heart-troubles  prevail :  as  when  Moses  lift— 
ed  up  his  hands,  (and  his  heart  too  by  faith) 
Israel  prevailed  ;  but  when  his  hands  were 
down  Amaleck  prevailed.  Faith  and  heart- 
trouble  are  like  a  pair  of  balances,  when  one 
goes  up,  the  other  goes  down :  faith  is  the 
counterpoise  of  trouble  of  heart:  Believe 
then  in  Jesus,  act  faith  on  him,  and  that  will 
prevent  or  cure  heart-trouble.  Continue  in 
the  faith,  and  your  heart-troubles  will  cease; 
believe  what  Christ  is,  and  what  he  is  to  us. 

Secondly,  Let  us  believe  in  Christ,  and  be- 
lieve where  he  is.  As  to  his  essential  pre- 
sence, he  is  in  heaven  at  the  Father's  right- 
hand,  making  continual  intercession  for  us 
to  the  Father.*  He  is  our  advocate  zvith  the 
Father^  pleading  our  cause,  presenting  all 
our  services,  perfumed  with  his  own  righte- 
:  ousness,  and  relenting  and  feeling  our  infir- 
mities,! sorrows  and  sufferings,  sympathi- 
zing with  us;  In  all  our  ajjlictions  he  is  af- 
fi'wted.^     He  knows  all  our  troubles,  trials, 

•  Heb.  xii.  2,  3.  vii.  25.  f  1  John  ii.  1,  2.  \  Heb. 
iv.  14,  15.         U*a.  lxiii.9. 


146 


temptations,  sicknesses,  losses  and  miseries^ 
Jesus  himself  knew,  when  he  was  on  earthy 
what  it  was  to  lose  a  friend  :  he  wept  when 
his  friend  Lazarus  was  dead.  lie  is  a  most 
tender-hearted  Saviour,  a  most  merciful  high- 
priest  ;  he  sees  and  feels  now  in  heaven  all 
the  miseries  of  his  people  upon  earth,  and 
pleads  for  them  there  :  believe  this,  and  let 
not  your  hearts  be  troubled. 

And  as  to  his  spiritual  and  providential! 
presence,  he  is  always  with  his  people  on: 
earth  :  he   is  in  his  people  ;   Christ  in4  you, 
the  hope  of  glory.*     He  is  in  his  word  and: 
ordinances  by  his  spirit,  to  bless  them  to  his 
people*     Christ  is  all,  CoL  iii.  11,  and  in  all. 
He  is  all,  that  is  instead  of  all,  of  father, 
mother,  husband,  wife  :  of  son  and  daugh- 
ter ;  instead  of  health,  wealth,  liberty,  and  all 
to  his  people  ;  in  him  drvelleth  all  fulness.] 
And  he  is  also  in  all ;  He  filleth  all  in  all. 
In  all  his  people,  he  dzvells  in  their  hearts 
hi/ faith.     All  our  fresh  springs  are  in  him  : 
all  the   strength,   support,  and   comfort   we 
have,  comes  from   him  ;  he  is  in  all  provi- 
dences, be  they  never  so  bitter,  so  afflictive, 
never  so  smarting,  destructive  to  our  earthly 
comforts,  Christ  is  in  them  all ;  every  cup  is 
of  his  preparing ;  it  is  Jesus,  your  best  friend, 

*  Col.  i.  27.  t  E£h.  i-  23.     iii.  17. 


147 


(O  ye  poor  believers !)  who  most  clearly  loves 
you  ;  it  is  he  that  died  for  you  ;  that  appoints 
all  riiose  providences,  orders  them  all,  over- 
rules them  all,  and  will  sweeten  them  all ; 
and  in  his  due  time  will  make  them  all  pro- 
fitable unto  you,  that  you  shall  have  cause 
one  day  to  praise  and  bless  his  name  for 
them  all.  Oh  !  that  we  could  but  believe  all 
this,  and  could  by  faith  look  unto  our  Jesus 
in  all  dark  providences,  and  by  faith  behold 
this  blessed  Jesus  managing  of  them,  and 
believe  his  love,  wisdom,  tenderness,  and 
faithfulness  in  all ;  in  our  sicknesses,  losses, 
prisons,  restraints,  &c.  then  surely  our  hearts 
should  not  be  troubled. 

Thirdly,  Believe  in  Christ,  believe  what 
I  he  hath  told  us  ;  In  my  Father's  house  are 
many  mansions  ;  if  it  were  not  so,  I  would 
have  told  you :  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for 
you.*  Let  us  act  faith  upon  these  true 
sweet  sayings  of  our  dear  Lord,  who  is 
truth  itself ;  In  my  Father's  house  are  many 
mansions.  In  my  Father's  house,  my  Fa- 
ther's, and  your  Father's  house,  one  house, 
fohn  xx.  7.  I  ascend  to  my  Father ,  and  your 
Father ;  to  my  God,  and  your  God ;  and  it  is 
in  that  house  which  is  far  above  all  heavens, 
all  visible  elementary  heavens,  the  third  hea- 
ven i  that  is  the  Father's  house,  that  house 

*  1  John  xiv.  3.      2  Cor.  v.  1,  % 


148 

not  made  with  hands,  whose  Builder  and  Ma* 
ker  is  God,  and  is  eternal.  This  city  of  the 
living  God,  The  New  Jerusalem  ;  there, 
saith  Christ,  are  many  mansions,  many  dwel- 
lings, many  fixed,  abiding,  lasting,  everlast- 
ing habitations  ;*  not  tents  and  tabernacles^ 
such  as  we  live  in  here  on  earth,  but  man- 
sions, abiding  places.  Is  not  this  a  most 
comfortable  consideration  to  such  poor 
saints,  as  have  here  on  earth  no  certain 
dwelling-places,  not  an  house  of  their  own 
•wherein  to  lay  their  heads,  but  are  forced  to 
yemove  from  place  to  place,  still  seeking 
an  habitation,  banished  from  family  and 
friends,  from  relations  and  acquaintance  ; 
some  cast  into  prisons,  (while  others  dwell 
safely  in  their  houses,  and  none  to  make 
them  afraid,)  and  others  exposed  to  much 
hardship  and  danger  ?  I  say,  this  is  good 
xiews  to  them,  that  in  their  Fathers  house 
are  ?nany  mansions ;  there  are  everlasting- 
habitations  ready  to  receive  them,  made 
ready  for  them  ;  from  which,  when  once  they 
are  entered,  they  shall  never  be  cast  out 
more  ;  from  whence  there  shall  be  no  more 
any  remove  for  ever.  When  once  their 
earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  is  broken 
down,  they  shall  possess  that  house  not  made 

•  Luke  xvi.  6. 


149 


with  hands,   eternal  in  the   heavens  *     Let 

i  us  then  by  faith  often  look  into  the  Father's 

i  house,    and   view,   and   review   those  many 

mansions  that  are  there  ;  and  let  us  act  hope 

!  also,  that  shortly  we  shall  possess  that  place, 

:  and  enjoy  that   blessed  state  :    the   believing 

frequent  prospects  of  that  place,  will  prevent 

our  heart-trouble,  or  cure  it. 

If  it  ivere  not  so,  I  would  have  told  you, 
saith  our  Lord  :  if  there  were  not  such  a 
blessed  state,  and  glorious  place  for  you,  my 
disciples,  in  the  other  word,  after  all  your 
sufferings  in  this,  I  would  have  told  vou  so  : 
for  I  have  told  you  of  the  many  troubles  you 
must  endure  in  this  world  ;  and  for  your 
support  and  comfort,  I  am  now  telling  you, 
what  good  things  you  shall  shortly  enjoy 
above  in  my  Father's  house,  where  is  all  joy, 
peace,  rest,  and  consolation  :  there  are  ma- 
ny mansions,  no  prisons,  chains,  nor  fetters, 
but  glorious  dwellings,  enough  to  hold  all 
the  saints  that  ever  were,  and  that  ever  shall 
be  in  the  world,  where  they  shall  enjoy  full 
and  free  communion  with  the  blessed  trinity, 
and  with  one  another  ;  perfect  liberty,  with- 
out any  restraint  or  remove  for  ever.  Be- 
lieve this,  and  let  not  your  hearts  be  trou- 
bled. 

•  Rom.  v.  2,  3. 
N  2 


150 


I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  I  have 
purchased  this  most  glorious  place  for  you 
by  my  blood  ;  I  have  promised  it  to  you  ; 
now  I  go  away  to  take  possession  of  it  for 
you,  in  your  name  and  stead :  Oh  what  an 
heart-comforting,  an  heart-easing  considera- 
tion should  this  be  to  us  poor  believers  !  that 
our  Lord  went  from  earth  to  heaven,  on 
purpose  to  prepare  a  place  in  heaven  for  us, 
to  possess  it  in  our  name  and  stead  ;  and  in 
the  mean  time,  he  is  preparing  us  by  his 
word  and  spirit,  by  afflictions  and  deliver- 
ances for  that  glorious  place  :  hence  he  is 
called  our  fore-runner,  zvho  is  for  us  entered 
into  that  within  the  veil:*  so  that,  as  sure  as 
Christ  himself  ascended,  and  went  into  the 
highest  heavens,  so  sure  shall  all  his  disci- 
ples, all  true  believers  ascend,  and  enter  in- 
to heaven  also ;  because  he  went  thither 
himself,  to  prepare  heaven  for  them,  by  tak- 
ing possession  of  it  in  his  human  nature  for 
us,  as  our  head  and  Saviour.  God  hath  pre- 
pared for  them  a  city.j  Heaven  and  heaven- 
ly glory  is  said  to  be  prepared  :  A  kingdom 
prepared  from  the  foundation  of  the  ivorld.\ 
If  we  could  believe  that  Christ  hath  prepar- 
ed a  place  in  heaven  for  us,  and  that  heaven 
will  make  amends  for  all  our  sufferings  in  the 

•  Heb.  vi.  19,  20.    \  Heb.  xi.  10.    \  Matt.  xxv.  34>. 


151 


Way  thither  ;*  and  if  we  could  keep  the  eye 
of  faith  upon  that  recompense  of  reward,  that 
far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  ofglo- 
rij^\  we  should  bear  up  bravely  under  all  our 
sufferings,  and  not  have  our  hearts  troubled. 

Let  us  then  look  more  heavenward,  more 
to  our  Father's  house  :  let  us  have  our  con- 
versations more  in  heaven,  and  set  oar  affec- 
tions more  upon  things  above ;  upon  that  bles- 
sed place  and  state  above  ;  and  know,  that 
when  Christ,  zvho  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  we 
shall  appear  with  him  in  glory.\  Believe 
this,  and  be  comforted. 

Certainly,  we  are  too  much  taken  up  with, 
and  too  solicitous  about  our  earthly  taberna- 
cles, these  houses  of  clay,  whose  foundation 
is  in  the  dust,  crushed  before  the  moth  :  we 
are  always  minding  the  diseases,  distempers 
and  dangers  of  our  bodies,  those  old  crazy, 
tottering  houses,  the  prisons  of  our  souls  : 
we  mind  earthly  places  too  much,  but  too 
little  those  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus,\ 
where  we  shall  shortly  sit  with  him.  Were 
we  more  heavenlv-minded,  we  should  be 
more  free  from  heart-trouble,  and  disquiet- 
ness  of  mind. 

*  Heb.  xi.  26.         f  2  Cor.  iv.  16,  17,  18.         \  Phil, 
iii.  20.     Col.  iii.  1,2,  3.         jEph.ii.  6. 


152 


Fourthly,  and  lastly,  to  prevent  and  cure 
all  our  heart-trouble  :  let  us  labour  to  believe 
what  Christ  hath  promised  here  in  the  text, 
ver.  3.  I  will  come  again,  and  receive  you 
to  myself,  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be 
also.  Most  sweet  and  comfortable  pro- 
mises ! 

/  will  come  again.  So  ver.  18.  /  will 
come  again  ;  I  will  not  leave  i/ou  comfortless  : 
ior  when  I  am  absent  from  you  in  respect  of 
my  bodily  presence,  I  will  send  the  Comforter 
to  you,  that  shall  abide  with  you  for  ever* 
And  I  myself  will  come  again  unto  you  ; 
you  shall  not  long  be  without  my  company. 
Though  Christ  seems  to  withdraw  and  hide 
his  face  from  his  people,  it  shall  be  but  a  lit- 
tle moment,  Isa.  liv.  7,  8.  He  will  return 
again,  and  have  mercy,  yea,  with  everlasting 
kindness  will  he  return.  I  will  come  again  : 
I  will  not  stay  long  from  you  ;  my  heart  is 
still  toward  you,  while  I  am  absent ;  there- 
fore I  will  come  quickly,  Rev.  iii.  11.  I  will 
come  to  you  with  my  messenger,  death  : 
though  it  he  the  king  of  terrors  in  itself,  and 
a  grim  porter,  yet  by  my  coming  with  it,  it 
shall  be  to  you  the  king  of  comforts  :  I  will 
come  with  it,  by  my  spirit,  to  strengthen  you 
to  look  it  in  the  face,  to  apply  to  you  the 
virtue  of  my  death,  and  thereby  to  take  out 
the  sting  of  it  \   and  I  will  come  to  you  by 


153 


fi 


my  angels,  to  secure  your  souls  through  the 
region  of  devils,  into  my  Father's  house.  If 
death  did  come  alone  to  us,  it  would  be  terri- 
ble to  us  indeed  ;  its  ghastly  countenance 
would  affright  us  ;  but  here  is  the  comfort, 
that  Christ  our  dearest  Lord,  will  come  with, 
death,  to  sweeten  it  to  us,  and  support  us 
under  it.  This  prevented  David's  fear, 
Psal.  xxiii.  4.  When  I  walk  through  the  val- 
ley oj  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil, 
or  thou  art  With  me.  O  welcome  death, 
when  Christ  comes  with  it !  This  bitter  cup, 
of  which  we  must  all  drink,  is  brought  to  us 
by  the  hand  ot  our  dearest  Lord  :  this  last 
stroke  is  given  by  the  hand  of  love  ;  it  is  tak- 
ing us  home  to  our  Father's  house  ;  this  last 
enemy  hath  Christ  conquered  for  us,  hecause 
his  children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  bloody 
he  likewise  took  part  of  the  same,  that  through 
death,  (that  is,  his  own  death)  he  might  de- 
stroy him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that 
is,  the  devil,  and  deliver  them,  who  through 
fear  of  death,  were  all  their  life-time  subject 
to  bondage.*  Jesus  knew  what  death  was  ; 
he  himself  had  the  pangs  of  death  upon 
him  :f  sin,  the  sting  of  death,  was  laid  upon 
him  ;  and  the  law,  which  is  the  strength  of 
sin,  the  curse  of  the  law  was  upon  him  :\  but 

*  Heb.  ii.  14.         f  Isa.  liii.  6.        %  Gal.  lit  1& 


154 


now,  for  us,  who  believe  in  Jesus,  the  sting 
and  strength  of  death  is  taken  out,  and  when 
we  die,  we  shall  die  in  the  Lord,  sleep  in  Je- 
sus ;  in  union  and  communion  with  Jesus; 
we  shall  fall  asleep  in  the  blessed  arms  of  our 
dear  Redeemer.  He  will  then  come  to  keep 
us  company  through  that  dark  entry  death, 
into  the  Father's  house  :  his  angels  shall  car- 
ry our  souls  into  Abraham's  bosom,  yea,  in- 
to the  Father's  bosom.  O  !  that  we  would 
make  sure  of  our  union  with  Christ  j  and 
then  let  us  believe,  that  he  will  come  with 
death,  to  translate  our  souls  out  of  these 
earthly  tabernacles,  these  prison-houses, 
these  houses  of  bondage  wherein  our  poor 
soujs  have  been  fettered  and  chained,  cloyed 
and  clogged  with  corruptions  and  tempta- 
tions, kept  at  a  distance,  and  absent  from  the 
Lord,  and  in  which  they  have  been  groaning 
for  deliverance,  into  the  glorious  liberty  of 
the  sons  of  God,  in  their  Father's  house,  and 
shall  ever  be  with  the  Lord.% 

Secondly,  Izvill  receive  you  to  myself:  O 
sweet  promise  !  This  is  all  the  hope,  all  the 
desire,  all  the  longing,  thirsting,  breathing 
of  poor  believers,  viz.  that  Christ  would  take 
them  to   himself.     This   is  the  sum  of  all 

*  Rom.  viii.  23.  2  Cor.  v»  2,  3,  4,  5,  6.  1  Thess. 
iv.  17. 


155 


their  prayers  and  labours,  that  they  may  be 
fitted  for  Christ,  and  then  that  Christ  would 
take  them  to  himself.  Weil,  saith  Christ, 
work  and  wait  a  little  longer  ;  do  and  suffer 
a  little  more  ;  act  your  faith  and  patience  a 
little  longer,  and  I  will  come  to  you,  and 
take  you  home  to  myself,  where  your  souls 
shall  be  at  rest  for  ever.  The  saints  while 
they  are  here,  at  home,  in  the  body,  they  are 
absent  from  the  Lord ;  they  see  but  in  part, 
darkly,  and  know  but  in  part,  very  imper- 
fectly, and  enjoy  but  a  little,  a  very  little  of 
God  and  Christ.  O  how  sweet  are  a  few 
drops,  a  few  glimpses  and  glances  of  divine 
love  to  a  poor  soul  !  The  least  cast  of  Christ's 
eve,  the  least  beam  of  his  loving-kindness, 
the  least  intimation  of  his  favour,  the  least 
hint  of  his  goodness,  how  refreshing  to  a 
poor  believer !  But  when  Christ  shall  receive 
them  to  himself,  they  shall  then  see  him  as 
he  is,  and  be  like  him,*  and  shall  be  satisfied 
with  his  likeness.]  Then  shall  they  see  him, 
whom  their  souls  love,  face  to  face  :  and 
then  will  Jesus  open  to  them  all  the  treasures 
of  his  love  and  grace,  to  their  everlasting 
consolation  :  they  shall  then  be  admitted 
into  the  glorious  presence  of  the  great  God, 
and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  in  whose  pre- 

*  1  John  iii.2,  3.  f  Psal.  i.  23. 


156 


eeiiee  is  fulness  of  joyy  and  at  whose  right 
hand  are  pleasures  for  evermore**  When  the 
world  shall  cast  them  out,  and  their  habita- 
tions shall  cast  them  out,  and  shall  know 
them  no  more  ;  yea,  when  their  houses  of 
clay  shall  be  broken  down  and  dissolved,  and 
can  hold  them  no  longer,  then  will  Jesus, 
blessed  Jesus,  receive  them  to  himself:  then 
shall  they  be  solemnly  married  to  their  glo- 
rious Bridegroom,  the  King  of  heaven's 
Son,  the  Prince  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  ; 
he  will  receive  them  to  himself,  he  will  take 
them  for  his  bride,  embrace  them  in  his 
everlasting  arms,  and  lay  them  in  his  blessed 
bosom  for  ever  and  ever.  I  will  receive  you 
to  musef  into  the  nearest  union  and  com- 
munion with  myself;  and  therefore  be  not 
unwilling  to  part  with  your  dear  relations  ;  be 
not  afraid  to  be  separated  from  your  bodies, 
your  old  friends  ;  for  when  these  earthly  ta- 
bernacles are  dissolved,  immediately  I  will 
receive  you  to  myself,  which  is  best  of  alL\ 
You  shall  then  enjoy  the  fruits  of  all  my 
sufferings,  death,  resurrection,  ascension, 
and  intercession,  and  the  fruits  of  all  your 
own  labours,  prayers,  tears,  and  sufferings  ; 
and  shall  find  that  I  am  faithful  in  making 
good  all  my  promises,  and  that  your  labour 

•Psal.xvi.  M.  f  Phil.  i.  23. 


157 

was  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord  ;  then  shall  there 
be  no  more  any  distance  between  you  and 
me  for  ever.  Comfort  yourselves,  and  com- 
fort one  another  with  these   words  :  Believe 

■  .  and  kt  not  your  hearts  be  troubled. 

Thirdly*  That  where  I  am,  ye  may  be  al- 
so. And  what  more  can  be  desired  ?  Where 
is  Christ,  but  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Majes- 
ty on  high,  far  above  all  principalities  and 
poivrrs,  iar  above  all  heavens  ?  There  shall 
you  be  also.  O  admirable,  astonishing  dig- 
nity, that  blessed  Jesus  will  advance  his 
poor  saints  to  in  that  dav  !  This  high  and 
wonderful  honour  shall  all  his  saints  have  ; 
they  shall  now  receive  the  kingdom  prepar- 
ed for  them,  and  that  crown  of  glory,  of 
righteousness,  and  of  life,  which  Christ  has 
purchased  for  them,  perfectly  freed  now  from 
all  sin  and  sorrow,  and  stated  in  an  unchange- 
able state  of  happiness  and  blessedness. 
What  cause  have  we  then  to  grieve  for  our 
<lear  relations,  whom  Christ  hath  taken  to 
himself,  and  placed  in  the  Father's  house, 
who  are  now  sitting  at  his  right  hand  in  glo- 
ry, and  singing  hallelujahs  ?  And  could  we 
it  firmly  believe  these  promises  of  our 
Lord,  and  act  our  faith  in  meditating 
;i  them,  and  on  Jesus  in  them, 
applying  and  appropriating  them,  and 
Christ  to   our   own   souls,  ccr- 

o 


158 


sidering  and  pondering  on  them,  until  our 
hearts  be  warmed,  and  our  affections  stirred 
and  kindled  with  them,  acting  also  hope, 
love,  joy,  desire,  delight,  thirst,  panting, 
breathing ;  pouring  out  our  hearts  in  prayer 
to  God  for  his  spirit,  to  bring  home  these 
promises  to  our  souls  in  power,  fixing  them 
upon  our  hearts,  and  helping  us  to  lay  hold 
on  them,  and  upon  Christ  in  them,  and  re- 
signing up  our  whole  souls  to  Christ  in  them, 
stedfastly  relying  on  his  goodness  and  faith- 
fulness, and  trusting  in  him  ;  I  say,  could 
we  but  do  so,  and  in  the  strength  of  God  be- 
trust  our  whole  selves,  and  all  our  concerns 
thus  with  Christ,  and  live  in  the  lively  exer- 
cises of  faith  thus  on  God,  and  on  Christ, 
we  should  find  this  to  be  heart's-ease  to  us 
in  all  our  heart-trouble.  Behold,  I  lay  in 
Sion  a  chief  Corner-stone,  elect,  precious; 
and  he  that  believeth  in  him,  shall  not  be  con- 
founded, 1  Pet.  2,  6. 

Let  all  heart-trouble  cease, 
Let  naught  disturb  your  peace, 
Who  faith  in  God  profess, 
And  in  his  Son  no  less. 

For  in  the  Father's  house 
Are  many  mansions  sweet, 

Christ  hath  prepar'd  for  us, 

When  we're  for  them  made  mete. 

THE  END. 


POSTSCRIPT 


>esf.  It  may  be  demanded,  that  having 
heard  the  excellency  and  usefulness  of  this 
sovereign  medicine  to  cure  heart-trouble, 
namely,  faith  in  God  and  in  Christ  ;  can  you 
tell  us  how  we  may  get  this  faith  ?  And  what 
means  we  shall  use  to  obtain  it  ? 

Ansiv.  I  shall  endeavour,  by  the  help  of 
God's  spirit,  and  Scripture-light,  to  direct 
you  herein,  and  as  briefly  as  I  may. 

DIRECTION   I. 

First,  Yon  must  be  convinced  of  your 
unbelief,  of  the  greatness  of  the  sin  of  unbe- 
lief, and  of  vour  absolute  ix:ed  of  faith  :  of 
these  three  things  you  must  be  fully  con- 
vinced. 

1.  Of  your  unbelief:  for  most  people 
think  thev  have  faith,  and  that  they  never 
were  without  it,  and  therefore  labour  not  for 
it.  Pray  earnestly  therefore,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  may  be  sent  into  your  hearts,  to  work 
this  conviction  in  you,  for  it  is  his  proper 
work,  John  xyi.  8,  to  convince  the  world  of 
inn,  because  they  believe  not  on  me,  saith  our 
I  :  this  is  the  great  sin,  the  damning  sin 
ot  the  world,  their  not  believing  on  €hruU 


160 


Now  that  we  may  be  convinced,  that  by  na- 
ture we  have  no  faith,  let  us  consider  these 
Scriptures,  Eph»  ii.  1,  2,  12,  and  that  until 
we  are  regenerate  and  born  again,  we  have 
no  faith,  is  evident  from  John  i.  12,  13. 
There,  believing  in  Christ,  and  regeneration, 
are  inseparably  joined  together,  Acts  xv.  9, 
and  xxv i.  18,  and  xx.  21.  From  which 
Scriptures  it  is  most  evident,  that  such  as 
are  strangers  to  the  heart- purifying,  the 
heart-sanctifying  work  of  faitn,  have  no 
faith  :  if  we  have  not  truly  repented,  nor 
know  any  saving  change  wrought  in  us,  and 
upon  us,  by  the  spirit  of  God  ;  for  certain, 
whatever  we  think,  we  have  no  true  saving 
faith,  it  is  but  a  fancy  :  of  this  then  we  must 
be  fully  convinced,  and  must  most  heartily 
beg  the  help  of  the  spirit  to  convince  us. 

2.  Of  the  greatness  of  the  sin  of  unbelief: 
it  binds  the  guilt  of  all  other  sins  upon  us  ; 
it  is  disobedience  and  rebellion  against  the 
great  God,  for  he  commands  us  to  believe, 
1  John  iii.  21,  and  by  our  unbelief,  we  make 
God  a  liar,  1  John  v.  10.  Q  horrible  wick- 
edness !   And, 

3.  We  must  be  convinced  also  of  our  ab- 
solute need  of  faith  ;  we  must  needs  have  it, 
or  we  must  perish.  Without  faith,  it  is  im- 
possible to  please  God,  Heb.  xi.  6.  Without 
it  we  cannot  be  the   children  of  God,  John 


161 


i.  12.  Gal.  iii.  26.  Without  it  we  can  have 
7?9  pardon  of  sin,  Acts  x.  43.  Rom.  iii.  25. 
John  viii.  24.  And  in  what  a  dangerous 
case  are  we,  so  long  as  we  lie  under  the 
guitr  of  all  our  sins  ?  Without  faith  we  are 
wo?  reconciled  to  God,  nor  justified,  Rom.  iii. 
22,  and  Rom.  vi.  1.1  '     mnciU 

fed,  Acts  xxvi.    18.  '    .     .  ii.  13.     No 

"access  to  God  but  b.)  faith,  i?ow.  v.  2. 
Ephes.  ii.  18.  No  living  the  life  of  religion, 
nor  bearing  up  under  affliction,  nor  holding 
out  to  the  end  without  faith,  Heb.  xi.  No 
salvation,  nor  eternal  life,  without  it,  Eph. 
ii.  18.  John  iii.  16,  36.  Heb.  x.  39.  Of  all 
these  things  we  must  be  convinced,  if  ever 
we  will  have  faith. 

DIRECTION     II. 

Secondly,  if  we  would  have  faith,  we  must 
diligently  search  the  scriptures,  read  the 
gospel,  attend  on  the  reading  and  preaching 
of  the  gospel,  for  this  very  end,  that  we  may 
get  faith  by  it :  I  say,  for  this  very  end;  cer- 
tainly, that  it  should  be  our  end  in  reading 
and  in  hearing  the  word,  which  was  God's 
etid  in  publishing  of  it:  now,  this  was  his  end 
in  publishing  ot  it,  John  xx.  21.  Rom.  xvi. 
25,  ^6.  Rom.  x.  17.  Acts  x.  iii.  48.  Eph.  i. 
3  3.  This  is  the  ordinary  means  appointed  by 
God  to  work  faith  in  the  souls  oi  men,  as  ap- 
o  2 


162 

pears  by  Acts  ii.  42.  chap.  iv.  4,  and  chap, 
xi.  21,  and  many  mare.  There  are  few 
that  read,  and  hear  the  word  for  this  end, 
and  therefore  get  no  faith  by  it. 

Now,  that  the  word  read,  and  heard,  may 
be  effectual  to  work  this  precious,  this  most 
necessary  grace  of  faith  in  us,  there  are 
some  things  antecedent,  some  concomitant, 
and  some  consequent  upon  our  attendance 
on  the  word,  and  our  use  of  it. 

First,  Some  things  antecedent,  are  neces- 
sary : 

1.  Preparation:  For  want  of  this  the 
word  most  times  proves  ineffectual.  It  is 
the  empty,  hungry  soul  that  relisheth  and 
taketh  in  this  food,  James  i.  21.  1  Pet.  ii. 
1.  Matt.  xiii.  22.  Usually  our  success  is 
according  to  our  preparation  ;  as  in  prayer, 
PsaL  x.  17.  Compare  2  Chron.  xii.  14, 
with  2  Chron.  xix.  3.  Make  conscience 
then  of  preparation. 

2.  Prayer :  Pour  out  your  hearts  to  God 
in  prayer  for  a  blessing  on  the  word,  that 
you  may  read  or  hear.  O  !  lift  up  a  cry  to 
God,  and  say,  O,  Lord  make  this  word  ef- 
fectual to  work  faith  in  my  soul,  &c. 

3.  Earnest  desire  and  expectation  of  meet- 
ing God  in  the  word,  and  of  his  blessing  hi 
it :  If  we  expect  nothing  from  it,  no  wonder 
if  we  receive  nothing.     There  is  a  fultiea* 


163 


of  blessing  in  the  gospel,  Rom.  xv.  29.  We 
should  bring  hungry  and  thirsty  souls  after 
God,  the  living  God,  as  Psal.  lxiii.  1,  2,  3, 
and  Ixxxiv.  2.  GodfdJeth  the  hungry  with 
I  things,  Luke  i.  53. 
Secondly y  Some  things  are  concomitant  : 

1.  We  must  read  and  hear  it  as  the  word 
of  God,  and  not  as  the  word  of  man,  1  Tfiess. 
ii.  13.  Acts  x.  33,  and  we  must  acknow- 
ledge God's  authority  in  it. 

z.  Receive  it  with  meekness,  opening  our 
hearts  to  it,  and  giving  it  the  most  tender 
entertainment,  James  i.  21. 

3.  With  love,  readiness  of  mind,  and 
gladness  of  heart,  2  Thess*  ii.  10. 

4.  With  fuith,  giving  credit  to  it,  believ- 
ing it  to  be  the  word  of  God,  Neb.  iv.  2. 

5.  We  must  be  careful  to  remember  it : 
see  what  great  stress  is  laid  upon  our  re- 
membering, 1  Cor.  xv.  2.  Our  salvation 
lies  upon  it,  Pml.  cxix.  11.  Love  the  word, 
for  love  is  the  act  of  memory. 

6.  Prayer  must  be  added  again  for  a  bless- 
ing. 

Thirdly,  Some  things  must  be  done  after- 
ward also.      As, 

1.  Meditation  upon  what  you  have  heard 
and  read  ;  for  want  of  this  usually  all  is  lost, 
I  am  persuaded,  this  h   one  great  reason 


164 


why  most  profit  so  little  by  the  word,  he- 
cause  they  make  no  conscience  of  medita- 
tion ;  they  hear  and  read,  but  never  think 
more  on  it  afterwards  :  so  preaching,  hear- 
ing, reading,  and  all  lost ;  and  souls,  and 
heaven,  and  all  lost.  For  God's  sake  then, 
whose  word  you  read  and  hear,  and  for  your 
own  soul's  sake,  if  you  are  not  willing  they 
should  perish  for  want  of  faith,  make  con- 
science of  meditation  on  the  word,  PsaU  i. 
2,  and  cxix.  97.  If  ever  you  would  get 
good  by  the  word,  mediate  upon  it. 

2.  Application  of  it ;  take  it  home  to  your- 
selves, Job  v.  27.  Let  it  sink  doxvn  into 
your  hearts^  saith  Christ:  It  must  be  an  in- 
grafted word,  you  must  receive  it  into  your 
hearts,  and  not  into  your  heads  only,  2  Cor, 
iv.  6,  your  hearts  must  be  joined  to  it,  and 
mixed  with  it. 

3.  Practice  :  Yielding  up  ourselves  to  the 
government  of  it,  making  it  the  standard  avK4 
rule  of  our  whole  conversation.  We  mitst  he 
doers  of  the  word,  and  not  hearers  only,  lest 
ive  deceive  our  own  souls,  James  i.  £52.  Matt, 
vii.  22, 24.  And  in  observing  these  scripture- 
rules  here  laid  down,  in  the  careful  and  con- 
scientious use  of  God's  word  after  this  man- 
ner, you  may  not  doubt  but  the  spirit  of  God 
will  work  with  the  word  of  God,  to  make  it 
effectual  to  work  this  most  precious  grace  of 


faith  in  us,  whereby  to  believe  in  God  and  in 
Christ,  to  the  consolation  and  eternal  salva- 
tion of  our  souls  :  but  if  We  neglect  the 
means  God  hath  ordained  to  get  faith,  and 
for  want  of  it,  die  in  our  sins,  and  perish 
eternally,  our  destruction  will  be  ot  our- 
selves. 

DIRECTION   III. 

Thirdly^  Would  we  have  faith,  let  us  en- 
gage our  whole  souls  in  the  deep  and  serious 
consideration  oi  the  infinite,  unspeakable, 
unconceivable  love  of  God  the  Father  in 
this,  the  highest  and  fullest  demonstration  ot 
it,  in  giving  his  son,  his  only  begotten  son, 
to  be  a.  sin-offering,  a  sacrifice,  a  ransom  for 
poor  sinners,  and  that  for  this  very  end  and 
purpose,  that  we  poor  sinners  might  believe 
in  him,  and  by  believing  might  not  perish, 
but  have  eternal  life,  I  pray  read  and  pon- 
der upon  the  following  texts,  and  let  your 
most  serious  thoughts  fix  on  them,  and  med- 
itate on  them,  Isu.  liii.  throughout,  John  iii. 
16,  17.  Rom.  iii.  25,  and  v.  8,  10.  ffov. 
30.  Cot.  i.  12,  13.  2  Cor.  v.  19,  20, 
21.  Rom.vm,  3,  32,  with  many  others,  which 
lor  brevity  sake  I  cannot  transcribe  :  If  we 
can  but  believe  this  wonderful  love  of  God 
the  Father,  in  giving  his  dear  son  to  be  a 
i  sin-ojfermg,  to  lay  all  our  infinities 


166 


on  him;  that  he  was  pleased  to  bruise  h?mt 
and  put  him  to  grief  for  us:  and  consider 
and  meditate  upon  th^  heighth  and  depth, 
the  breadth  and  length,  of  this  immense,  in- 
comprehensible love  of  God,  in  giving  his 
son,  and  that  on  purpose,  that  we  might  be- 
lieve in  him,  and  by  believing  might  have 
eternal  life  ;  I  say,  it  will  greatly  help  us  to 
believe  in  his  son,  to  accept  of  this  his  un- 
speakable gift,  and  to  receive  him  as  he  is 
offered  to  us  in  the  gospel. 

Moreover,  let  us  also  consider  of,  and 
deeply  meditate  upon  the  transcendent  love 
of  the  son  of  God  himself;  who  though  he 
were  the  delight  of  his  Father,  and  lay  in  the 
bosom  of  his  Father,  even  then  his  delights 
were  with  the  sons  of  men*  then  was  his 
heart  full  of  love  to  poor  sinners  ;  and  his 
love  brought  him  down  from  heaven  to  as- 
sume human  nature,  and  to  take  upon  him 
all  the  sins  of  his  people,  to  bear  them  on 
his  soul  and  body,  in  the  garden,  there 
sweating  great  drops  of  blood,  and  on  the 
cross  there  pouring  out  his  heart-blood, 
made  a  curse,  enduring  the  full  measure  of 
the  wrath  of  God  due  for  sin,  and  became 
the  ransom  of  souls,  Phil,  ii.  6,  7,  8.  Luke 
xxii.  44.     Gal.  ii.  20.     He  loved,  us,  and 

•  Prov.  viil  30,  31. 


167 


gave  himself  for  us  :  Loved  us,  and  washed 
usjrdm  our  sins  in  his  blood,  Rev.  i.  6.  1  PeU 
i.  18.  ii.  24.    Gal.  iii.  13.    Tit.  ii.  14. 

But  while  I  am  writing  these  things,  I 
cannot  but  conceive  an  indignation  against 
myself,  and  heartily  wish  I  were  tilled  with 
shame,  sorrow  and  grief  of  spirit,  that 
having  read  and  heard  so  often  of  the  sur- 
passing love  of  God  the  Father,  in  giving 
his  son  ;  and  so  often  of  the  unspeakable 
love  of  Jesus,  and  to  be  no  more  affected 
with  it,  no  more  sensible  of  it ;  to  have  my 
affections  no  more  stirred  and  moved,  no 
more  quickened  and  warmed  :  alas,  my 
dead  heart,  my  adamantine  heart !  Lord, 
sprinkle  it  with  that  blood ;  Lord,  shed 
abroad  that  love  of  thine  upon  my  heart 
abundantly  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  Lord  Jesus, 
manifest  tny  love  to  me,  that  I  may  love 
thee.  I  am  ashamed  and  pained  for  want 
of  love  to  God,  to  Jesus  :  O  !  that  I  could 
believe  thy  love  to  my  soul,  then  I  could  not 
chuse  but  love  thee.  Lord,  I  believe,  help 
my  unbelief.  The  consideration  ol  this  love 
or  God,  and  of  Christ,  is  a  means  to  work 
faith  i  try  it,  i  pray  you,  and  you  will  &nd 
it  so. 

DIRECTION.   IV. 

Fourthly,  Improve  and  act  the  historical 
faith  you  havw,  on  the  doctrines,  promises3 


158 

and  ihreatenings  fa  the  gospel,  which  }Tou 
profess  you  do  believe.  Act  the  faith  you 
have  on  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  the  pro- 
mises of  rest  for  your  souls,  pardon  for  your 
sins,  life  and  righteousness,  grace  and  glory 
made  to  those  that  believe  in  Christ,  and  to 
none  else.*  Believe  and  think  what  heaven 
is,  that  state  of  infinite  blessedness,  in  th^ 
seeing  and  enjoying  the  blessed  God  to  all 
eternity  :f  believe  what  eternal  life  is,  eter- 
nal glory  ;  and  believe  also  what  hell  is,  se- 
paration from  God  ;  Go,  ye  cursed  into  ever- 
lasting jire  ;  lakes  of  fire  and  brimstone, 
everlasting  death,  the  wrath  of  God,  damna- 
tion ;  and  see  you  profess  that  believe  all 
this  ;  then  believe  also  and  consider  it  wet!, 
that  neither  is  heaven's  infinite  happiness  to 
be  attained,  nor  hell's  unspeakable  misery  ti* 
be  avoided,  but  only  by  believing  the  Lopd 
Jesus  Christ,  John  in.  16,  17.  viii.  24.  - 

DIRECTION  V. 

Fifthly,  Would  you  have  faith?  Then  j 
seek  it  diligently  :  pray,  O  pray  for  it  as  for 
your  lives,  cry  mightily  to  God  for  it ;  pour 
out  your  hearts  to  God"  in  prayer  for  it ;  ptiy 
continually  for  faith,  pray  without  eeasiag, 
be  importunate  with  God  for  it  ;  go  all  day 
and  night  panting  and  breathing  alter*  it.     O 

*  John  vi.  3T.  v\\t37.   M»tt.  xt,  23,  29.     f  2Th 
9,  10. 


169 


that  God  would  give  me  faith  !  Co  to  Jesus 
also  for  it  ;  cry  to  him,  for  he  is  the  Author 
as  well  as  the  Object  of  it,  Heb.  xii.  1,  2. 
It  is  the  gift  of  God  ;  O  pray  for  it. 

DIRECTION  VI. 

Lastly,  Consider  seriously,  and  often,  how- 
wonderful  willing  God  is  that  you  should 
believe  in  Christ,  as  you  have  heard  ;  and 
how  much  he  is  displeased  with  those  that 
will  not  believe  in  him  ;  and  how  dreadfully 
he  hath  threatened  them,  as  Rev.  xxi.  8. 
Also  consider  how  exceeding  willing  Jesu? 
Christ  himself  is,  that  poor  sinners  should 
come  to  him,  and  believe  in  him:  how  sweet- 
ly he  calls  them,  how  freely  he  offers  him- 
self, and  all  he  is,  to  them,  be  they  never  so 
bad,  never  so  vile  and  wicked  :  Ho  I  every 
one  that  thirsteth,  ha»  lv.  1.  They  that  have 
no  worthiness  in  them,  nothing  but  sin  and 
misery.*  O  !  set  your  hearts  to  the  consi- 
deration of  the  incomparable,  unparalleled 
love  of  Jesus,  in  dying  that  cursed  death  of 
the  cross  for  sinners  :  consider  and  medi- 
tate, hold  your  hearts  to  it,  until  your  hearts 
be  aftected  with  his  love,  his  love  that  pass- 
eth  the  love  of  women,    love  passing  under- 

*  John  vi.  37.    chap.  vii.  37.      Rev.  ill.  18.    char . 
xxi.  II. 


170 


standing ;  and  consider  how  well  he  de- 
serves, and  how  much  he  challengeth  your 
love !  Consider  once  again,  what  a  most 
lovely  person  Jesus  is,  who  is  altogether 
lovely,  the  brightness  of  his  Father's  glory, 
in  whom  dwells  all  fulness,*  and  in  whom  is 
all  power  in  heaven  and  earth,f  and  labour  to 
affect  your  hearts  with  his  most  admirable 
excellencies,  and  then  come  unto  him  weary 
and  heavy  laden  with  your  sins,  willing  to 
part  with  them  all :  give  up  your  whole 
selves  to  him,  give  him  your  whole  hearts, 
and  take  him  for  head  and  husband,  for  your 
only  Lord  and  Saviour ;  enter  actually  into 
covenant  with  him,  to  become  his,  and  his 
alone,  and  his  for  ever. 

Thus  work  out  your  salvation  and  conso- 
lation, by  believing  in  Jesus,  in  blessed,  all- 
sufficient  Jesus,  trusting  to  him,  and  betrust- 
ing  all  with  him,  and  the  Lord  will  work  in 
you  both  to  will  and  to  doy  Phil.  ii.  12,  13. 
Use  these  means  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord, 
and  doubt  not,'  but  in  the  use  of  them,  you 
shall  obtain  this  precious  faith  ;  which  hav- 
ing, and  acting,  you  shall  find  it  to  be  your 
heart's  ease  in  all  your  heart-trouble, 

PRAISE  BE  TO  GOB  ALONE. 

*  Heb.  i.  3.  \  Matt,  xxviii,  18. 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS 


MEDITATION. 

MEDITATION  is  an  act  by  which  we 
consider  any  thing  closely,  or  wherein  the 
soul  is  employed  in  the  search  or  considera- 
tion of  any  truth.  In  religion  it  is  used  to 
signify  the  serious  exercise  of  the  under- 
standing, whereby  our  thoughts  are  fixed  on 
the  observation  of  spiritual  things,  in  order 
to  practice.  Mystic  divines  make  a  great 
difference  between  meditation  and  contem- 
plation :  the  former  consists  in  discursive 
acts  of  the  soul,  considering  methodically 
and  with  attention  the  mysteries  of  faith,  and 
the  precepts  of  morality  ;  and  is  performed 
by  reflections  and  reasonings  which  leave 
behind  them  manifest  impressions  on  the 
brain.  The  pure  contemplative,  they  say, 
have  no  need  of  meditation,  as  seeing  all 
things  in  God  at  a  glance,  and  without  any 
reflection. 

I.  Meditation  is  a  duty  which  ought  to  be 
attended  to  by  all  who  wish  well  to  their 
spiritual  interests.  It  ought  to  be  deliberate,, 
close ,  and  perpetual,  Psal.  cxix.  97.  Psal.  i. 
2. — 2.     The  subjects  which  ought  more  es- 


172 


peciallv  to  engage  the  Christian  mind,  are 
the  works  of  creation,  PsaL  xix.  the  perfec- 
tions of  God,  Deut.  xxxii.  4.  the  excellen- 
cies, offices,  characters,  and  works  of  Christ, 
Heb.  xii.  2,  3.  the  offices  and  operations  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  15th  and  16th  ch.  of  John  ; 
the  various  dispensations  of  Providence, 
PsaL  xcvii.  1,2;  the  precepts,  declarations, 
promises,  &c.  of  God's  word,  PsaL  cxix. 
the  .value,  powers,  and  immortality  of  the 
soul,  Mark  viii.  36  ;  the  noble,  beautiful,  and 
benevolent  plan  of  the  gospel,  I  Tim*  i.  1 1  ; 
the  necessity  of  our  personal  interest  in,  and 
experience  of  its  power,  John  iii.  3  ;  the  de- 
pravit)'  of  our  nature,  and  the  freedom  of 
divine  grace  in  choosing,  adopting,  justify- 
ing, and  sanctifying  us,  1  Cor.  vi.  11  ;  the 
shortness,  worth,  and  swiftness  of  time, 
James  iv.  14  ;  the  certainty  of  death,  Heb. 
ix.  27  ;  the  resurrection  and  judgment  to 
come,  1  Cor.  xv.  50,  &c.  and  the  future  state 
of  eternal  rewards  and  punishments,  Matt. 
xxv.  These  are  some  of  the  most  important 
subjects  on  which  we  should  meditate. — 
3.  To  perform  this  duty  aright^  we  should 
be  much  in  prayer,  Luke  xviii.  1  ;  avoid  a 
worldly  spirit,  1  John  ii.  15;  beware  of 
sloth,  Heb.  vi.  1 1  ;  take  heed  of  sensual  plea- 
sures, James  iv.  4  ;  watch  against  tbce  de- 
vices of  Satan,  1  Petp  v.  8  ;  be  often  in  re- 


173 


tirement,  PsaL  iv.  4 ;  embrace  the  most 
favourable  opportunities,  the  calmness  of  the 
morning,  PsaL  v.  1,  3  ;  the  solemnity  of  the 
evening,  Gen.  xxiv.  63  ;  sabbath  days,  PsaL 
cxviii.  24  ;  sacramental  occasions,  &c.  1  Cor. 
xi.  28. — 4.  The  advantages  resulting  frotp 
this  are,  improvement  of  the  faculties  of  the 
soul,  Prov.  xvi.  22  ;  the  affections  are  raised 
to  God,  PsaL  xxxix.  1,  4  ;  an  enjoyment  of 
divine  peace  and  felicity,  Phil.  iv.  6,  7  ;  holi- 
ness of  life  is  promoted,  PsaL  cxix.  59,  60  ; 
and  we  thereby  experience  a  foretaste  of 
eternal  glory,  PsaL  lxxiii.  25,  26.  2  Cor*  v, 
1,  kc 


REVELATIOX. 

Revelation^  the  act  of  revealing  or  mak- 
ing a  thing  public  that  was  before  un- 
known ;  it  is  also  used  for  the  discoveries 
made  by  God  to  his  prophets,  and  by  them 
to  the  world;  and  more  particularly  tor  the 
books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  A 
revelation  is,  in  the  first  place,  possible.  God 
may,  for  any  thing  we  can  certainly  tell, 
think  proper  to  make  some  discovery  to  his 
creatures  which  they  knew  not  before.  As 
he  is  a  Being  of  infinite  power,  we  may  be 
red  he  cannot  be  at  a  loss  for  means  to 
i>  2 


174 


communicate  his  will,  and  that  in  such  a 
manner  as  will  sufficiently  mark  his  own.— 
2.  It  is  desirable.  For,  whatever  the  light 
of  nature  could  do  for  man  before  reason, 
was  depraved,  it  is  evident  that  it  has  done 
little  for  man  since.  Though  reason  be  ne- 
cessary to  examine  the  authority  of  divine 
revelation,  yet,  in  the  present  state,  it  is  in- 
capable of  giving  us  proper  discoveries  of 
God,  the  way  of  salvation,  or  of  bringing  us 
into  a  state  of  communion  with  God.  It 
therefore  follows, — 3.  That  it  is  necessary. 
Without  it  we  can  attain  to  no  certain  know- 
ledge of  God,  of  Christ,  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
of  pardon,  of  justification,  of  sanctification, 
of  happiness,  of  a  future  state,  of  rewards 
and  punishments. — 4.  No  revelation,  as  Mr. 
Brown  observes,  relative  to  the  redemption 
of  mankind  could  answer  its  respective  ends, 
unless  it  were  sufficiently  marked  with  in- 
ternal and  external  evidences.  That  the  Bi- 
ble hath  internal  evidence,  is  evident  from 
the  ideas  it  gives  us  of  God's  perfections,  of 
the  law  of  nature,  of  redemption,  of  the  state 
of  man,  &c.  As  to  its  external  evidence,  it 
is  easily  seen  by  the  characters  of  the  men 
who  composed  it,  the  miracles  wrought,  its 
success,  the  fulfilment  of  its  predictions,  &c. 
— 5.  The  contents  of  revelation  are  agreeable 
to  reason.     It  is  true  there  are  some  things 


175 


above  the  reach  of  reason  ;  but  a  revelation 
containing  such  things  is  no  contradiction,  as 
long  as  it  is  not  against  reason  ;  for  if  every 
thing  be  rejected  which  cannot  be  exactly 
comprehended,  we  must  become  unbelievers 
at  once  of  almost  every  thing  around  us. 
The  doctrines,  the  institutions,  the  threat- 
enings,  the  precepts,  the  promises,  of  the 
Bible,  are  every  way  reasonable.  The  mat- 
ter, form,  and  exhibition  of  revelation  are 
consonant  with  reason. — 6.  The  revelation 
contained  in  our  Bible  is  perfectly  credible. 
It  is  an  address  to  the  reason, judgment,  and 
affections  of  men.  The  Old  Testament 
abounds  with  the  finest  specimens  of  history., 
sublimity,  and  interesting  scenes  of  Provi- 
dence. The  facts  of  the  New  Testament 
are  supported  by  undoubted  evidence  from 
enemies  and  friends.  The  attestations  to 
the  early  existence  of  Christianity  are  nume- 
rous from  Ignatius,  Polycarp,  Iremeus,  Ju<^ 
tin  Martyr,  and  Tatian,  who  were  Chris- 
tians ;  and  by  Tacitus,  Sueton,  Serenus, 
Plinv,  &c.  who  were  Heathens. — 7.  The 
revelations  contained  in  our  Bible  are  divine- 
ly inspired.  The  matter,  the  manner,  the 
scope,  the  predictions,  miracles,  preserva- 
tion, &c.  &c.  all  prove  this. — 8.  Revelation 
is  intended  for  universal  benefit.  It  is  a 
common  objection  to  it,  that  hitherto  it  has 


been  confined  to  few,  and  therefore  could 
not  come  from  God,  who  is  so  benevolent ; 
but  this  mode  of  arguing  will  equally  hold 
against  the  permission  of  sin,  the  inequali- 
ties of  Providence,  the  dreadful  evils  and 
miseries  of  mankind  which  God  could  have 
prevented.  It  must  be  farther  observed, 
that  none  deserve  a  revelation  ;  that  men 
have  despised  and  abused  the  early  revela- 
tions he  gave  to  his  people.  This  revela- 
tion, we  have  reason  to  believe,  shall  be 
made  known  to  mankind.  Already  it  is 
spreading  its  genuine  influence.  In  the  cold 
regions  of  the  North,  in  the  burning  regions 
oi  the  South,  the  Bible  begins  to  be  known  ; 
and,  from  predictions  it  contains,  we  believe 
the  glorious  sun  of  revelation  shall  shine  and 
illuminate  the  whole  globe — -9.  The  effects 
of  revelation  which  have  already  taken  place 
in  the  world,  have  been  astonishing.  In  pro- 
portion as  the  Bible  has  been  known,  arts 
and  sciences  have  been  cultivated,  peace  and 
liberty  have  been  diffused,  civil  and  moral 
obligations  have  been  attended  to.  Nations 
have  emerged  from  ignorance  and  barbarity, 
whole  communities  have  been  morally  re- 
formed, unnatural  practices  abolished,  and 
wise  laws  instituted.  Its  spiritual  effects 
have  been  wonderful.  Kings  and  peasants, 
conquerors  and   philosophers,   the  wise  and 


177 


the  ignorant,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  have 
been  brought  to  the  foot  of  the  cross  ;  yea, 
millions  have  been  enlightened,  improved, 
reformed,  and  made  happy  by  its  influences. 
Let  any  one  deny  this,  and  he  must  be  an 
hardened,  ignorant  infidel,  indeed.  Great 
is  the  truth,  and  must  prevail. 


SABBATH. 

Sabbath,  in  the  Hebrew  language,  signifies 
rest,  and  is  the  seventh  day  of  the  week  :  a 
day  appointed  for  religious  duties,  and  a 
total  cessation  from  work,  in  commemora- 
tion of  God's  resting  on  the  seventh  day  ; 
and  likewise  in  memorial  of  the  redemption 
of  the  Israelites  from  Egyptian  bondage. 

Concerning  the  time  when  the  sabbath 
was  first  instituted  there  have  been  different 
opinions.  Some  have  maintained  that  the 
sanctification  of  the  sevemh  day  mentioned 
in  Gen.  ii.  is  only  there  spoken  of  by  antici- 
pation ;  and  is  to  be  understood  of  the  sab- 
bath afterwards  enjoined  in  the  wilderness  ; 
and  that  the  historian,  writing  after  it  was 
instituted,  there  r:  (  es  the  reason  of  its  insti- 
tution ;  and  this  is  supposed  to  be  the  case, 
as  it  is  never  mentioned  during  the  patri- 
archal age.     But  against  this  sentiment  it  is 


178 


urged,  1.  That  it  cannot  be  easily  supposed 
that  the  inspired  penman  would  have  men- 
tioned the  sanctification  of  the  seventh  day 
amongst  the  primaeval  transactions,  if  such 
sanctification  had  not  taken  place  until  2500 
years  afterwards.— 2.  That,  considering 
Adam  was  restored  to  favour  through  a  Me- 
diator, and  a  religious  service  instituted, 
which  man  was  required  to  observe,  in  tes- 
timony not  only  of  his  dependence  on  the 
Creator,  but  also  of  his  faith  and  hope  in  the 
promise,  it  seems  reasonable  that  an  institu- 
tion so  grand  and  solemn,  and  so  necessary 
to  the  observance  of  this  service,  should  be 
then  existent.—- 3.  That  it  is  no  proof  against 
its  existence  because  it  is  not  mentioned  in 
the  patriarchal  age,  no  more  than  it  is  against 
its  existence  from  Moses  to  the  end  of  Da- 
vid's reign,  which  was  near  440  years. — 
4.  That  the  sabbath  was  mentioned  as  a  well 
known  solemnity  before  the  promulgation  of 
the  law,  Exod.  xvi.  23.  For  the  manner  in 
which  the  Jews  kept  it,  and  the  awful  conse- 
quences of  neglecting  it,  we  refer  the  reader 
to  the  Old  Testament,  Lev,  xxvi.  34,  35. 
Neh.  xiii.  16,  1$.  Jer.  xvii.  21.  Ezek.  xx. 
16,  17.  Numb.  xv.  32  to  36. 

Under  the  Christian  dispensation  the  sab- 
bath is  altered  from  the  seventh  to  the  first 
day  of  the  week.     The  arguments  for  the 


179 

change  are  these  :  1.  As  the  seventh  day 
was  observed  by  the  Jewish  church  in  me- 
mory of  the  rest  of  God  after  the  works  of 
the  creation,  and  their  deliverance  from 
Pharaoh's  tyranny,  so  the  first  day  of  the 
week  has  always  been  observed  by  the  Chris- 
tian church,  in  memory  of  Christ's  resurrec- 
tion.— 2.  Christ  made  repeated  visits  to  his 
disciples  on  that  day. — 3.  It  is  called  the 
Lord's  day,  Rev,  i.  10. — 4.  On  this  day  the 
apostles  were  assembled,  when  the  Holy 
Ghost  came  down  so  visibly  upon  them,  to 
qualify  them  for  the  conversion  of  the 
world. — 5.  On  this  day  we  find  St.  Paul 
preaching  at  Troas,  when  the  disciples  came 
to  break  bread. — 6.  The  directions  the  apos- 
tle gives  to  the  Christians  plainly  allude  to 
their  religious  assemblies  on  the  first  day.— 
"9. — Pliny  bears  witness  of  the  first  day  of 
the  week  being  kept  as  a  festival,  in  honour 
of  the  resurrection  of  Christ ;  and  the  primi- 
tive Christians  kept  it  in  the  most  solemn 
manner. 

These  arguments,  however,  are  not  satis- 
factory to  some,  and  it  must  be  confessed 
that  there  is  no  law  in  the  New  Testament 
concerning  the  first  day.  However,  I  look 
upon  it  as  not  so  much  the  precise  time  that 
is  universally  binding,  as  that  one  day  out  of 
en  is  to  be  regard 


180 


As  the  sabbath  is  of  Divine  institution,  so 
it  is  to  be  kept  holy  unto  the  Lord.  Nume- 
rous have  been  the  days  appointed  by  men 
for  religious  services ,  ?jul  these  pre  not 
binding  because  of  human  institution.  Not 
so  the  sal  bath:  Hence  the  fourth  command- 
men  t  is  ushered  in  with  a  peeuliarjemphasis — 
"  Remember  that  thou  keep  holy  the  sabbath 
day,"  This  institution  is  wise  as  to  its  ends: 
That  God  may  be  worshipped ;  man  instruct- 
ed ;  nations  benefited  ;  and  families  devoted 
to  the  service  of  God.  It  is  lasting  as  to  its 
duration.  The  abolition  of  it  would  be  un- 
reasonable ;  unscraptural,  Exod.  xxxi.  13 ; 
and  every  way  disadvantageous  to  the  body, 
to  society,  to  the  soul,  and  even  to  the  brute 
creatioii.  It  is,  however,  awfully  violated 
by  visiting,  feasting,  indolence,  buying  and 
selling,  working,  worldly  amusements,  and 
travelling. 


